This event finished on October 4, 2026. The dates below are last year’s.
Defected Malta runs from 1 to 4 October 2026. It is a house music festival spread across four venues and a set of boat parties.
This is its fifth year here. The organisers list three days of programming and more than fifty artists.
The venues
- UNO, which holds the main stage plus the Treehaus and Roots rooms.
- The Ditch, an open air site under the bastions.
- Café del Mar, for the pool parties.
- Boat parties, run across the weekend.
Each session is ticketed separately, and a festival pass covers the core programme.
What to know before you book
The first week of October is still warm here, and the sea is at its warmest of the year.
Rooms in St Julian’s and Sliema go early for that weekend, and so do hire cars.
Venues are spread out. Budget for taxis late at night, because the buses thin out after midnight.
The same week
Malta Classic runs on the same dates at Mdina, and Notte Bianca fills Valletta on 3 October.
Lineups and tickets are on the festival site. The rest of the month is on what is on.