The Three Palaces Festival runs from Wednesday 28 October to Sunday 1 November. It is five days of concerts held inside palaces instead of a concert hall.
It is run by Festivals Malta and it is the last event on their calendar for the year.
The three palaces
The festival is named after the buildings it uses. The Grandmaster’s Palace is in Valletta.
Verdala Palace is above Buskett woods outside Siġġiewi. San Anton Palace is in Attard.
Some concerts are also held at the Manoel Theatre.
Two of the three are closed to the public for the rest of the year. Verdala Palace belongs to the President and you normally only see it from the road.
San Anton Palace is where the President lives. The gardens around it are open every day and cost nothing, but the house is not open. A concert ticket is the usual way in.
What is on
The 2026 programme has not been published yet. Festivals Malta usually announces it a few weeks before the festival, and tickets go on sale at the same time.
The music is mostly classical. Past years have had singers, string players, small ensembles and one or two bigger concerts.
Tickets have run from about ten to twenty five euro. The rooms used are small, so there are not many seats. Book as soon as the programme is out.
Getting there
The Grandmaster’s Palace and the Manoel Theatre are both inside Valletta and easy to reach by bus.
Verdala Palace is the awkward one. It sits on its own above Buskett, outside any town, and the road up is dark at night. Work out how you are getting home before you book a seat there.
San Anton is in Attard, which is much easier. Check which building each concert is in when you book, because the programme moves between all four.
1 November is a normal working day here
The festival ends on Sunday 1 November, which is All Saints’ Day. That is a public holiday in Italy, Spain, France and much of Europe.
It is not a public holiday in Malta. Shops, buses and offices all work as usual on the Monday.
What else is on that month
October 2026 is busier than October usually is. The Junior Eurovision Song Contest is at the MFCC in Ta’ Qali on 24 October. The Rolex Middle Sea Race starts on 17 October and gives out its prizes on the 24th.
Notte Bianca comes earlier in the month, on 3 October, and it is free. All of it is on the events calendar.
Rooms are cheaper in late October than in summer, but not as cheap as they used to be. Book early.
Where to check
Festivals Malta publishes the programme and sells the tickets. We will add the concert list here when it is out.
