Malta International Fireworks Festival Celebrates 25th Anniversary with Global Live Concert

The Malta International Fireworks Festival celebrated its 25th anniversary this year with a large-scale programme of events that combined Maltese tradition, international participation and global promotion.

Organised by the Malta Tourism Authority, the festival once again attracted thousands of spectators across the islands while also reaching millions of viewers abroad through an extensive live broadcast campaign in the United States.

This year’s edition opened in Nadur, Gozo, on the 18th of April before continuing with displays at the Grand Harbour on the 20th and 25th of April and concluding with a grand finale on the 30th of April. Around 40 local and international fireworks factories and affiliated societies participated throughout the programme, presenting displays that blended traditional Maltese pyrotechnics with modern pyro-musical performances and visual effects.

In preparation for the closing nights of the festival, more than 500 pyrotechnicians and support personnel worked on the setup and coordination of the displays around the Grand Harbour. Eight teams took part in the pyromusical competition, including international participants and countries competing for the first time. The inclusion of a Canadian pyrotechnic company also marked an important step in expanding the festival’s international reach beyond Europe

A major highlight of this year’s anniversary edition was VisitMalta’s international live-stream campaign aimed at promoting Malta to audiences in the United States. VisitMalta partnered with travel expert Gabe Saglie and local presenter Keith Demicoli to host live broadcasts from the Grand Harbour during the grand finale celebrations.

The live-stream productions showcased Malta’s fireworks displays, the atmosphere around Valletta and the Three Cities, and the wider cultural experience connected to the festival. The broadcasts were distributed across major American media platforms and networks, including CNN and FOX, significantly increasing international exposure for both the event and the Maltese Islands.

FOX reaches more than 80 million users each month, while CNN’s FAST channel, CNN Headlines, reaches up to 30 million viewers monthly across platforms including Pluto TV, Roku, Fire TV and CNN’s own app. In addition to its broadcast in the United States, the live coverage was also made available to CNN affiliates internationally through CNN’s global live feed.

The grand finale itself transformed the Grand Harbour into a large-scale visual spectacle, with spectators gathering around Valletta and the Three Cities to watch the final displays and the announcement of the competition winners. L-Għaqda tan-Nar San Sebastjan of Qormi won the 25th anniversary edition with a choreographed performance that stood out during the competitive programme.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, a commemorative silver coin was also launched through a collaboration between the Central Bank of Malta and the Malta Tourism Authority. Limited to 1,000 pieces, the €10 coin featured colourful fireworks over the Grand Harbour and was created to honour Malta’s long-standing pyrotechnic tradition and the cultural importance of fireworks within Maltese festas and celebrations.

Over the years, the Malta International Fireworks Festival has grown into one of the country’s leading cultural events and continues to play an important role in attracting visitors outside the peak summer season. Through international initiatives such as the U.S. live broadcasts, the festival is also helping strengthen Malta’s position as a year-round destination for cultural tourism and major events.