GhanafestGħanafest

Ghanafest is a Maltese folk music festival celebrating traditional Għana singing in an international context. Held annually in mid-June at the Argotti Gardens in Floriana, it features local għannejja (folk singers) performing improvised poetic songs alongside Mediterranean and world music acts 1 2. The multi-day event highlights Maltese cultural heritage by bringing għana out of village wine bars into a major festival setting.

The festival is built on the centuries-old Maltese għana tradition, an oral folksong form where singers improvise dueling verses 1. Ghanafest provides a platform to transmit and sustain this living heritage, reflecting Malta's identity as part of Mediterranean folk culture.