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Malta is a country with a rich and vibrant culture. If there is one thing the Maltese are known for, it is their love for cultural and religious festivals. Most of these festivals take place throughout the year. If you are a fun-loving, vivacious music-lover with an appetite for special foods, this is a good opportunity to mingle with the Maltese for these fantastic festivals.

The most popular festival is the Malta Jazz festival which is usually held in Ta'Liesse, an open air venue in Valletta. These three day musical event take place from 15th to 17th of July. Tickets for this festival are reasonably priced with concessions for students, elderly and a three day pass. A single ticket could go for about 12 pounds. This renowned faultless festival features a lot of renowned jazz artists from all over the world like Mike Stern, Wayne Shorter, Natalie Cole, John Patitucci, Bill Evans and many more.

The Malta Arts festival, similar to the Jazz festival, is also a popular festival in summer. This event is hosted in different venues around the island, usually from 1st - 23rd ofJuly. It features a lot of iconic dance and theatre performances, and music concerts featuring both local and foreign artists like the Carnyx Brass Trio from UK, Etienne Cutajar, Francesca Galea, the European Union Baroque Orchestra and other performances by various choirs.

Victory day is also one festival to look forward to. This takes place on the 8th of September, which is usually a public holiday in Malta. This event commemorates three notable events - the birth of the Holy Virgin, Maria Bambina, the capitulation of the Italian navy to Britain during the Second World War and the end of a Great siege in 1565. This day is celebrated with a parade, fireworks and regatta.

The Festival Mediterranea is yet another major festival in Malta. This usually takes place on the 23rd of October to 6th of November in Gozo. Highlights of this festival include music concerts, field trips and tours to the magnificent temples of Gozo Island as well as talks on Maltese history. The field trips offer tourist the opportunity to learn more about Malta's ancient history and culture. This is also a time to indulge your taste buds with a variety of food samplings, as you will be getting many from the food and wine exhibitions which will be showcased at the event.

Tickets to these festivals are usually limited and it is recommended that you book your flights to Malta early.