This week sees the welcome return of the Malta International Folk festival, a celebration of traditional cultural practises from across the Mediterranean and further afield

Malta has long been a meeting point for various cultures from across the world, both due to its history as a hotly-contested strategic point in the Mediterranean, and more recently for its cosmopolitan international business and expat community.

In accordance with its varied history and modern aesthetic, each year the country hosts a festival celebrating Maltese folk traditions, as well as those from around the world. Included in the eclectic range of events and cultural practises are street processions, traditional dances, flag-waving groups and bagpipe and other musical performances.

This year sees events hosted in Bugibba on Friday 25 September, Zejtun on Saturday 26 September and Valletta on Sunday 27 September. While the first two days feature events in the evening (from 7pm), on Sunday proceedings will begin at 10am. Participating groups from Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Serbia and Spain, in addition to Malta, will take part, in what promises to be a weekend-long feast of tradition.