Home » Best Things to Do in Malta » Clubbing and Nightlife
Although the Maltese Islands are well known for their sunny skies, azure waters, and rich history, there’s also some excellent nightlife to enjoy in Malta.
Malta is well known for its nightlife and party scene, and with a vast array of nightclubs, bars, restaurants, and wine bars, you’ll never be far from a good time.
Wondering what to do in Malta after the sun sets? You’ve come to the right place. In this ultimate guide, I’ll show you where the action is at, so you can look forward to a few nights to remember.
If you’re looking for a chill night out in Malta, I highly recommend trying a Malta boat party.
Hop on a large boat with DJ and open bar and dance (and swim!) the night away! (Available April – Sep.)
You’ll find the main areas for nightlife in these areas:
Paceville is pretty much THE place to be for going out in Malta.
With the highest concentration of nightclubs, dining venues, gentlemen’s clubs, pubs and bars on the island, you’re sure to find something to pique your interest in Paceville and its surroundings.
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These are some of the hot spots in the area:
Address: Dragonara Road, St. Julian’s
Sky Club is Malta’s largest indoor club, spread over 2,000 square metres, catering for up to 3,400 party people. Admission fees and drink prices vary depending on the events taking place. This is one of the biggest and best places for parties on the island.
Address: Paceville main staircase, St. Julian’s
Clique is a popular destination for EDM and techno, with a great atmosphere on the busier nights of the week. With fully stocked bars and a good cocktail menu, you’ve got all you need for a good night out.
Address: St. George’s Road, St. Julian’s
Renowned as one of the most popular Malta party places, Havana boasts six bars and two dance floors, ranging from hip-hop and R&B music to 90s tunes. Definitely the place to be if you’re after a night of great tunes!
Address: Level 22, Portomaso Tower, Saint Julian’s
TwentyTwo is the perfect place for a more elegant and classy experience, with some beautiful views to take in whilst dancing and enjoying a drink or two with your friends. Beware, though: Drinks are pricey here – they target more upmarket clubbers.
Address: St George’s Road, Saint Julian’s
Although a relative newcomer in Paceville, Toyroom is one of the best clubs in Malta that offers an unforgettable party experience with old-school R&B, Hip-Hop and Reggaeton hits.
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Address: 132 Main Street, Spinola Bay, St. Julian’s
Saddles Bar is very popular with locals for its cheap drinks, to start off an evening of partying. The place is very small and it can get a little bit crowded, but has a fun atmosphere, with great music, table soccer, and large-screen sports coverage. Prices: A pint of local beer costs around €3.40.
Address: Gorg Borg Olivier Road, St. Julian’s
A typical Irish pub with some hearty, and cheap pub grub on offer, a lively atmosphere, and all-around sports coverage. They also have live music every Saturday night from 9:30 PM.
Paceville Main steps – Triq Santa Rita, St. Julian’s
Promising to be Malta’s best Latino Bar, Native Bar is right in the heart of Paceville. It boasts a fantastic selection of bar nibbles and drinks and offers a happy hour daily from 6:00 – 7:30 PM.
Address: St. George’s Road, S. Julian’s
Located in the middle of the action, with a more classical approach to a typical Irish pub. Good spot to take a quick breather and hang out with friends for a quick drink or two. Prices: Drinks prices are similar to the bars above.
Paceville Main steps – Triq Santa Rita, St. Julian’s
A bit of a pub/club crossover, with good music, a laid-back and friendly vibe and good DJs. Prices: A little cheaper than the average, with Happy Hour earlier in the evening (usually 7-9 pm).
Paceville Main steps – Triq Santa Rita, St. Julian’s
Hugo’s Lounge is a great place to grab some lunch or dinner, paired with sizzling cocktails. The background music doesn’t disappoint either! What’s more, it’s also a top spot for Happy Hour!
BONUS: If you’d like to try your luck whilst on the island, you can also head over to the Dragonara Casino (Address: Westin Dragonara Resort, Paceville). This is the island’s leading casino and boasts 19 live tables for playing blackjack and poker, roulette tables, and nearly 200 slot machines to choose from. Admission to the casino is free of charge and the legal gambling age limit is over 18 years for foreigners and over 25 years for locals.
Malta’s magnificent capital of Valletta is absolutely stunning by day, but wait till you experience it by night! Make sure to have a walk through the recently revived Strada Stretta, which is reminiscent of the more nostalgic decades of the 1940s and 1950s.
61, Strait Street, Valletta
A fantastic little place in the heart of Strait Street. Boasting retro-chic décor, with a fuzzy pink sofa and glamorous crystal chandeliers, this place is worth a visit for a cocktail or two!
68, Strait Street, Valletta
Another quirky, 50s bar with lots of character and a fun, vintage menu! A local pint of beer costs about €3.00 whilst a platter of cheese nibbles to share would cost about €20.00.
136 Archbishop St, Valletta
A local’s favourite pub in the heart of the capital, The Pub is a great little hangout with a friendly owner, great service and an easygoing crowd.
Address: 2, Strait Street, Valletta
A very popular spot for locals, this wine bar is housed in a 400-year-old stone vaulted cellar and offers a selection of platters to go along with a nice glass of wine. (Reservation Recommended)
Address: 110, St. Lucy Street, Valletta
Having a rustic and cosy décor, this tiny wine bar is perfect for a romantic night out for two. The wine list is extensive with some of the popular quaffable wines available for under €20. (Reservation Recommended).
Address: St. Ursula Street, Valletta
An extremely popular venue, especially during late spring, and summer. For years, the Bridge Bar has brought to the island some of the finest jazz nights of the local scene. Sessions usually occur on Fridays, starting at the end of May and usually stopping in October.
If you’re looking for an authentic experience, with a relaxed vibe, live music and stunning views of the famous Grand Harbour, this is definitely the place to visit. The bar itself is extremely small, and most patrons just enjoy the warm summer evenings by sipping a glass of wine whilst sitting on the St. Ursula steps just outside the bar.
BONUS: You can also visit the Valletta Waterfront for a nice stroll along the water’s edge, as well as to dine at a variety of restaurants and bars housed in the restored grand stores with their colourful doors along the beautiful front.
The city has a more laid-back vibe than Paceville, which makes it popular with a more mature crowd (25 years+) whilst younger clubbers between 14 to early 20s usually tend to move towards the nightlife scene offered by the Paceville and St. Julians area.
Getting to Valletta is easy as it’s Malta’s capital city, so nearly all buses end their journey at the city terminus. Taxis are also readily available outside the Valletta gates. Parking within the city can be a real challenge because spaces are very limited, but parking outside the city and walking in is an easy affair.
Located in the northern region of the island of Malta, Buġibba has a seaside promenade stretching from Salina Bay to St Paul’s Bay, which is very popular among tourists and locals alike.
Buġibba and Qawra are both very popular tourist areas, containing numerous hotels, restaurants, pubs, clubs, and a Casino. The area’s popularity soars during the summer season due to its seaside location, which might prove a little too windy and cold during the winter months.
In terms of nightlife, there’s only one club here that operates in summer and a variety of bars and pubs, but it’s not a nightlife destination as such.
A few recommended addresses for nightlife in this area are:
Other places of interest include Sliema, a great place to find bars and restaurants by the sea, Birgu, which is growing ever more popular for its authentic atmosphere and wine bars and Valletta, for a more laid-back night out at one of its many bars.
Several open-air venues open their doors during the late spring and summer season. These include:
Admission to these complexes usually don’t come with a free entry. Depending on the events and parties held and what type of tickets you purchase, tickets usually range between €10 to €50+.
Malta Public Transport operates a special bus route during the summer months on Friday and Saturday evenings (and into the night) with a direct route between Gianpula Village and Uno Malta and Saint Julian’s/Sliema. More info here.
During the spring and summer months (Apr-Sep) I highly recommend joining this boat party that departs from Sliema (close to St. Julian’s) and sail out along the northern coastline of Malta.
It’s a clubbing experience fuelled by great tunes, an open bar and food, with the option to go for a swim at different stops that are made on the way.
Good to know:
There are several seasonal festivals and activities, which are worth experiencing during your visit. (Some of these are part of my list of 25 Annual events held in Malta and Gozo!)
Isle of MTV is a huge annual music festival (around 50000 people attend!) held by MTV Europe. Famous artists such as Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, Snoop Dogg, Rita Ora, and the Black Eyed Peas, amongst many others, have taken part in this festival, usually held at the Floriana Granaries (a large square that lies within a short distance of Valletta’s City Gate).
The festival is organised annually on one day in June or July and the last editions were attended by an estimated 50,000 people. The party begins at 18:00 and ends close to midnight. Entrance is free of charge and there are no age limits.
Malta Public Transport runs special bus routes on the day to facilitate travel, even so, getting there and leaving can be tricky, especially if you’re in a hurry. That’s no surprise really, considering the area’s infrastructure and public transport weren’t designed to cope with that large number of people trying to find their way home.
This spectacular event takes place at the end of April to commemorate Malta’s accession to the European Union. The festival includes fireworks displays designed by foreign pyrotechnic companies as well as some of the best local fireworks factories and is held at various locations around the islands.
Each year, some of the locations are different, although the main, most spectacular show is always held at Valletta. It’s a public event so there’s no entrance fee.
The Malta Jazz Festival is another annual festival that takes place in the month of July, boasting a line-up of top international and Maltese artists. It’s one of the highly anticipated events on the island, presenting an eclectic mix of jazz styles from the current art scene. Entrance to the festival is at a nominal charge with concessions for students and elderly citizens, as well as block ticket offers.
Both held in October, these events create a spectacular nocturnal celebration within the capital city, Valletta (Notte Bianca is held here), and in the fortified city of Birgu. State palaces and museums open their doors to the public for free, or at greatly reduced prices, while the open-air streets and piazzas showcase some of the finest local and international musicians and dancers.
Restaurants, cafés and bars stay open till late, and if you prefer a quick snack whilst strolling through the old cities, there are plenty of food stalls and vendors to meet your needs.
Birgu is one of the island’s oldest cities and was once the seat of power of the Knights of Malta. Combine the old, authentic feel of Birgu with its narrow alleys and streets being lit with hundreds of candles and lanterns and it all makes for a special (and romantic!) experience.
These so-called wine festivals are held in Valletta (Upper Barrakka Gardens and Hastings Gardens, respectively) and also recently held in Malta’s sister island, Gozo. Renowned one of the best events among the locals, these wine festivals are organised by local vineyards, Delicata and Marsovin, and offer the public a chance to sample a variety of their wines and local and foreign foods.
The festivals are usually held in July and August, and entrance to both comes with a fee, which usually includes a few free glasses and souvenir wine glasses. Also of note is the Farsons Beer Festival, Malta’s largest beer festival, held annually over a two-week period (between July and August) by the islands’ main brewery, Farsons, at ta’ Qali National Park. It’s a great opportunity to sample Malta’s finest beers, see musical performances by local artists and bands, and eat lots of tasty Maltese, and international grub!
With the local festa (feast) season starting off two weeks after Easter, the sound and sight of fireworks are a common occurrence on weekend summer nights in Malta and Gozo.
Each village celebrates a different patron saint; each features tonnes of activities during the festa, including concerts, firework displays and parties. The village band clubs are always a great place to start off, with alcoholic drinks and spirits being sold at cheap prices and just loads of atmosphere and celebration.
Edward is the Founder and Editor of Malta Uncovered and author of two guidebooks on Malta and Valletta.
As a tourist-turned-expat with Maltese roots, he knows the islands inside out and helps thousands of visitors enjoy a memorable trip every year.
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i have visited malta before and it’s really amazing island and it’s the best place i have ever visit .. coz it has alot of places to go and you can relax and have a lot of fun in there .. and the most important thing the people are so friendly and helpful ….. miss malta!