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If you’ve ever been to Malta, you know that it is a very small country. In just a few hours you can easily drive once around the entire island nation. Malta offers many cultural highlights, beautiful churches (365 of them!) and the capital Valletta is a stunning fortress overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. And then there are Malta’s theatres. They, too, are a sight to behold.
So, in this article let me take you on a tour to look at 7 beautiful theatre venues in Malta, a tiny island nation in the Mediterranean Sea, just a little South of Sicily.
Most of these venues are in Malta’s capital Valletta. Some of them are on the neighbouring island Gozo which is a part of Malta.
This theatre first opened in 1732 and is named after Grand Master Fra António Manoel de Vilhena. It is commonly referred to by locals as The Manoel.
With a seating capacity of 623 guests, it welcomes thousands of patrons every year for various performances.
It’s reputed to be Europe’s third-oldest working theatre, and the oldest one still in operation in the British Commonwealth Nations.
It is known by the Maltese people as Dar il-Mediterran.
This building has been around since the 16th century, when the Knights built it as a hospital, and it was known as Sacra Infermeria or the Holy Infirmary.
It is now the largest conference centre in Malta, and also houses various performances and events in the grand theatre.
This theatre was built during the British period in 1866 and was a prominent performing arts venue.
In 1873 its interior was extensively damaged due to a fire and was later restored in 1877. Bad luck struck again in 1942 however, when it was destroyed during a WWII air raid, just 65 years after its first restoration.
In 2013, it was restored and reopened to the public as an open-air theatre, with certain parts of its structure retained.
Inaugurated in 1968, the Astra Theatre has hosted various performances and artists, both locally and internationally renowned.
This stage has also been the venue where globally acclaimed local artists Miriam Cauchi and Joseph Calleja debuted their operatic career.
The Aurora Theatre is an exquisite performance space housed inside a regal 19th century villa.
It has been a prime location for critically acclaimed operas since its inauguration in 1976.
Including Georges Bizet’s Carmen and Giacomo Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, and more recently, Tosca, also by Puccini.
Housed in a 16th century cavalier close to Auberge de Castille, Spazju Kreattiv has now become a cultural centre with several exhibitions, films and performances put up every year.
A cavalier is a specialized British military design. A detached fortified building within the greater fort where its main function was in the mounting of artillery on the roof to fire ‘en barbette’ for land defence.
The cavalier is scheduled as a Grade 1 national monument and is also listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.
Previously a late 19th century Methodist church, the current Neo-Gothic church was built between 1881 and 1883 and was the first building in Malta to make use of electricity.
In April 1975, the building was inaugurated as a centre for cultural activities and renamed Robert Samut Hall after a Maltese musician who wrote the Maltese national anthem.
From own experience, I must say a trip to Malta is always worthwhile for so many reasons. If you ever find yourself close by, hop over for a week and splurge on the country’s rich cultural treasures.
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Liam Klenk was born in Central Europe and has since lived on four continents. Liam has always been engaged in creative pursuits, ranging from photography and graphic design, to writing short stories and poetry, to working in theatre and shows. In 2016, Liam published his first book and memoir, 'Paralian'.
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