Three Palaces Festival Malta: Where to Stay in Sliema

Some of Malta’s best evenings happen in rooms most people only walk past. The Three Palaces Festival Malta opens those doors from 27 October to 1 November 2026, with concerts, theatre and talks in palaces, cathedrals and auberges across the island.

It is a short festival and an easy one to dip into. Novotel Malta Sliema makes a practical base: the hotel is steps from the seafront promenade and within easy reach of the Valletta ferry, which covers the festival’s Valletta nights.

Three Palaces Festival Malta 2026: What’s On

Organised by Festivals Malta, the festival lists tickets from €10 to €50. The programme is mixed, so choose by mood rather than by venue.

Opening night, Tuesday 27 October at 19:30, is Letters to a Young Poet at Verdala Palace in Siġġiewi. On Wednesday 28 October, Breakfast at Tiffany’s runs at 10:00 in Palazzo Parisio, Naxxar, and Unversed… follows at 19:30 in St Paul’s Cathedral, Mdina. On Thursday 29 October at 19:30, ORA Singers perform Golden Ages at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta. Doors open at 18:30, and the ticket includes a visit to the Caravaggio Wing beforehand.

The Thursday concert is the one for choral fans. ORA Singers mark ten years with Renaissance polyphony by Tallis, Byrd and Gibbons alongside contemporary commissions, including the world premiere of Lucis Creator by Cristian Grases. Arrive early: the Caravaggio Wing is part of the evening, not an extra.

The rest of the week adds a Mad Hatter’s tea party (29 October), a toy piano evening (30 October) and Soft Weapons, a multisensory piece for over-18s (31 October). Sunday 1 November closes the festival in Valletta with a Maltese folktales session at 11:00, La Monica: The Night She Left and Postcards from Malta. Jazz & Timpana! at Auberge d’Aragon.

Getting to the Three Palaces Festival Malta from Sliema

Valletta is the easy one. ORA Singers at St John’s Co-Cathedral and the Sunday events at Auberge d’Aragon on Old Hospital Street are all in the capital, so the ferry from Sliema is the natural route to the Three Palaces Festival Malta. Our guide to things to do around Novotel Malta Sliema includes the ferry and what sits along the waterfront.

Verdala Palace, Palazzo Parisio and Mdina are inland. Plan a taxi or ride-hail for those, and check the journey time before you commit to a 19:30 start.

Sunday works as a single day out. The folktales session, the evening events and the jazz night are all in Valletta, so one ferry crossing in the morning and one back at night covers the lot, with the rest of the day free for the capital itself.

Making an Evening of It

The Verdala and Valletta concerts start at 19:30 and wrap up by 21:30, which leaves room for dinner on either side. Book a table at Tria Restaurant for an early meal before you head across, or for a later one when you return.

Sunday’s Postcards from Malta. Jazz & Timpana! is the one to save an evening for. Pete Long, music director at Ronnie Scott’s, plays with Maltese musicians in the Auberge d’Aragon courtyard. Timpana is Malta’s baked macaroni pie, so the title tells you the mood.

Book Your Stay at Novotel Malta Sliema

Festival nights run late, and a drink at Isola Bar is an easy way to end one. Browse our Rooms & Suites, then use the booking widget on that page to check your dates. The full programme and tickets are on the Festivals Malta website.