This week in Parliament, I explained that with the coming into force of Budget 2026, investment in culture and the arts will be strengthened, and that our ambition for these sectors will be furthered.
Budget 2026 is a budget with a strong social heart that the Labour government, led by Prime Minister Robert Abela, has demonstrated time and again. It improves the quality of life of Maltese and Gozitan families, a truly fresh and energetic Labour government budget - the result of competent and sound leadership.
Our priority is clear and simple: Culture for Everyone, Every Day. This principle defines our vision for these sectors, for culture is not a luxury but a necessity.
In recent years, we have led a genuine cultural revolution by democratising access to the arts. Culture is no longer confined to elite spaces or museum walls. National patrimony is not frozen in time. Culture, arts, and national patrimony are accessible to everyone, in every corner of Malta and Gozo.Â
It has been one year since we opened MICAS - Malta's first International Contemporary Art Space. This was a key electoral pledge in the Labour Party's 2022 manifesto, and one of the most significant cultural projects ever undertaken in Malta.
Today, MICAS is a showcase of Maltese excellence and a major cultural landmark for international artists, particularly those in the European and Mediterranean regions.
NAPA, the National Agency for the Performing Arts, is another entity punching above its weight, engaging hundreds of local artists and giving them the right platform to further their ambitions. This year, NAPA will host a European festival celebrating small languages, expand music, theatre, and dance programmes locally and internationally, and launch its first Strategic Plan - with a strong focus on sustainability, inclusion, and better working conditions for artists.
I am proud of the Valletta Cultural Agency that has, over the past years, given a new lease of life to Valletta, our Capital city, through countless events that attract thousands of Maltese and visitors all year round, the most recent being the record-breaking New Year's Eve celebrations attended by over 70,000 people. With a €4.5 million allocation in 2026, Valletta will remain the beating heart of Maltese creativity.Â
Heritage Malta is delivering one of the most ambitious heritage programmes in Malta's history - restoring, regenerating and reimagining our national sites. It has no less than 200 events planned for this year, whilst major restoration projects, and works shall continue - that includes the €12 million restoration of Villa Guardamangia, partly funded by EU funds; restoration works at the Main Guard, Villa Portelli, and the Maritime Museum in Birgu, at Inquisitor's Palace, St Paul's Catacombs, MUŻA, and the Grand Master's Palace. The second edition of the Malta Biennale, which builds on the first edition, held last year, and which was an extraordinary success, is at the core of this year's events by Heritage Malta.
 Last year, Arts Council Malta turned 10, and this year it shall continue with its excellent work in the promotion of local artists and creatives. The Council has become the backbone of the creative sector. This year, it will launch a €700,000 innovation fund for creative start-ups; strengthen film strategy through international co-production frameworks - membership in Eurimages now opens unprecedented opportunities for Maltese filmmakers, and introduce the Arts Export Office and launch Strategy 2030. In addition to this, Malta will participate in the Venice Art Biennale and, for the first time, in the Gwangju Art Biennale in South Korea.
Once seasonal, Malta's film servicing industry now operates year-round. The success of this industry is significant considering that this sector generated, over the last eight years, €1.5 billion for the Maltese economy, created over 15,000 new jobs, supported 1,800 local crew members and 500 companies, and returned four times more revenue than government investment. Works are now in progress for the setting up of the first world-class soundstage. The permits have been approved, and international tenders are imminent.
This year, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra shall focus on three key areas: artistic excellence, education and youth, and cultural infrastructure. I am deeply grateful for the sterling work being done by the MPO and its development of high-level collaborative programmes and an ambitious, quality-driven repertoire.Â
This year, aside from its professionally curated programme, Teatru Manoel shall continue to strengthen its accessibility, comfort, and safety, while expanding its musical and artistic offerings to ensure it remains a living heritage space open to the public.Â
Pjazza Teatru Rjal is doing an excellent job. Its quest to bring culture closer to the public through high-quality events is bearing fruit. This year's events shall include a festival dedicated to Maltese brass b
Budget 2026 is a budget with a strong social heart that the Labour government, led by Prime Minister Robert Abela, has demonstrated time and again. It improves the quality of life of Maltese and Gozitan families, a truly fresh and energetic Labour government budget - the result of competent and sound leadership.
Our priority is clear and simple: Culture for Everyone, Every Day. This principle defines our vision for these sectors, for culture is not a luxury but a necessity.
In recent years, we have led a genuine cultural revolution by democratising access to the arts. Culture is no longer confined to elite spaces or museum walls. National patrimony is not frozen in time. Culture, arts, and national patrimony are accessible to everyone, in every corner of Malta and Gozo.Â
It has been one year since we opened MICAS - Malta's first International Contemporary Art Space. This was a key electoral pledge in the Labour Party's 2022 manifesto, and one of the most significant cultural projects ever undertaken in Malta.
Today, MICAS is a showcase of Maltese excellence and a major cultural landmark for international artists, particularly those in the European and Mediterranean regions.
NAPA, the National Agency for the Performing Arts, is another entity punching above its weight, engaging hundreds of local artists and giving them the right platform to further their ambitions. This year, NAPA will host a European festival celebrating small languages, expand music, theatre, and dance programmes locally and internationally, and launch its first Strategic Plan - with a strong focus on sustainability, inclusion, and better working conditions for artists.
I am proud of the Valletta Cultural Agency that has, over the past years, given a new lease of life to Valletta, our Capital city, through countless events that attract thousands of Maltese and visitors all year round, the most recent being the record-breaking New Year's Eve celebrations attended by over 70,000 people. With a €4.5 million allocation in 2026, Valletta will remain the beating heart of Maltese creativity.Â
Heritage Malta is delivering one of the most ambitious heritage programmes in Malta's history - restoring, regenerating and reimagining our national sites. It has no less than 200 events planned for this year, whilst major restoration projects, and works shall continue - that includes the €12 million restoration of Villa Guardamangia, partly funded by EU funds; restoration works at the Main Guard, Villa Portelli, and the Maritime Museum in Birgu, at Inquisitor's Palace, St Paul's Catacombs, MUŻA, and the Grand Master's Palace. The second edition of the Malta Biennale, which builds on the first edition, held last year, and which was an extraordinary success, is at the core of this year's events by Heritage Malta.
 Last year, Arts Council Malta turned 10, and this year it shall continue with its excellent work in the promotion of local artists and creatives. The Council has become the backbone of the creative sector. This year, it will launch a €700,000 innovation fund for creative start-ups; strengthen film strategy through international co-production frameworks - membership in Eurimages now opens unprecedented opportunities for Maltese filmmakers, and introduce the Arts Export Office and launch Strategy 2030. In addition to this, Malta will participate in the Venice Art Biennale and, for the first time, in the Gwangju Art Biennale in South Korea.
Once seasonal, Malta's film servicing industry now operates year-round. The success of this industry is significant considering that this sector generated, over the last eight years, €1.5 billion for the Maltese economy, created over 15,000 new jobs, supported 1,800 local crew members and 500 companies, and returned four times more revenue than government investment. Works are now in progress for the setting up of the first world-class soundstage. The permits have been approved, and international tenders are imminent.
This year, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra shall focus on three key areas: artistic excellence, education and youth, and cultural infrastructure. I am deeply grateful for the sterling work being done by the MPO and its development of high-level collaborative programmes and an ambitious, quality-driven repertoire.Â
This year, aside from its professionally curated programme, Teatru Manoel shall continue to strengthen its accessibility, comfort, and safety, while expanding its musical and artistic offerings to ensure it remains a living heritage space open to the public.Â
Pjazza Teatru Rjal is doing an excellent job. Its quest to bring culture closer to the public through high-quality events is bearing fruit. This year's events shall include a festival dedicated to Maltese brass b