From its humble beginnings in 2018, Dark Malta Festival continues to grow and flourish beyond expectation, drawing to the island international acts and many festival goers who have added this yearly event to their calendar. Malta’s only Gothic/Industrial/Metal Festival was born after DJ Hades and Aleera De Lune decided to organize a Gothic Festival. It started out with a one-day event in 2018 with Diary of Dreams and Gothminister as headliners. The response was good and 2019 the festival grew into a two day event with And One and Lord of the Lost as headliners and an array of good bands and artists performing. Covid hit and we had to wait until 2022 for the third edition. This was the first edition held at Gianpula Village Main Room. Three days with an incredible line up including Covenant, Moonspell, Combichrist and much more. 2023 was the biggest edition yet with And One, Deathstars, Project Pitchfork and many other acts and DJ’s keeping the crowd jumping form afternoon till the early hours of the morning. The weather was clement, and a 2-day pool party was also introduced. One must mention that apart of bringing foreign acts to Malta, this event serves also as an opportunity for local bands and talent to be introduced to an international crowd.
2024 – The 5th Anniversary
Dark Malta Festival will be back with a bang between 19th and 21st April 2024, at the Gianpula Village Main Room for its 5th Anniversary. Apart from the bands and DJ’s this year’s event will once more include the Rooftop Pool Party on Saturday and Sunday and an after party on Saturday night.
Malta Oskura Art Exhibition will be back with talented artist Jana Komaritsa, Sara P, Joseph Bugeja and Maria Baldacchino. Make sure not to miss their works of art.
At the Alternative Market will include stands for Steamretro, Fata Morgana, Toysforplay.com, Furban Malti, The Cult Asylum, The Sophie Lancaster Foundation, Air Knights and Dynamite Infusions. There will also be space for bands to sell their mech. Do not miss out on Dark Malta Festival official merchandise.
Keeping the crowd going will be DJ Thomas Rainer, DJ Vlade Retro, DJ Andtrax, DJ Maxalto, DJ Soraya Disorder, DJ Nibi, DJ Vanonoise, DJ Boo Lee, and last but surely not least, DJ Hades, hosting the afterparty on Saturday.
Friday, April 19th
Doors open 14.30hrs
Lia Hide (1500-15.45hrs). Hailing from Athens (Greece) Hide is a unique artist. Apart from a performing artist she is also a songwriter, pianist composer, producer, music educator and vocal teacher.
Luciferi Regnum (16.15-17.00hrs). First Maltese act are a female fronted, extreme gothic, metal/melodic black metal band. Luciferi Regnum have not been around for a long time but they have already left their mark on the local scene.
The Arch (17.30-18.15hrs). Founded in Belgium way back in 1986, the Arch will be returning to Dark Malta with their New Wave tunes.
MartYriuM (18.45-1930hrs). Formed by Count Mortem in 1999, MartYriuM has carried the flag of Maltese black metal through Europe and beyond. With five albums under their belt they have a wide repertoire from which to choose from. Whenever MartYriuM are on stage we are in for a good show.
Vlad In Tears (20.00-20.45hrs). The alternative /indie band was reborn after decades when the three brothers Kris (vocals & piano), Lex (guitar), and Dario (bass) decided to move from the old and too sunny Italy to Germany in 2013. Joined by Giovanni De Benedetto and Cosmin Cadar, the brothers immediately showed their great musical skills and their ability to be great live performers.
The March Violets (21.15-22.00hrs). This post-punk/gothic rock band needs no introduction. Going as far back as 1981 they have made it to 2024 after stopping and reforming many a time. The latest incarnation includes Rosie Garland, Tom Ashton and William Faith in the lineup.
Lebanon Hanover (22.30-23.30hrs). Lebanon Hanover are a British-German post-punk duo formed in 2010 in Sunderland, England. The band consists of Swiss vocalist and guitarist Larissa Iceglass and British vocalist, bassist and synthesist William Maybelline. The group has released six studio albums to date.
Die Krupps (00.00-01.15hrs). Another massive band performing at Dark Malta Festival. Headlining Friday will be the German industrial metal/EBM band, formed back in 1980 by Jürgen Engler and Bernward Malaka. The band has gone through some line up changes and the current lineup, coming back after a hiatus in 2005, includes Jürgen Engler, Ralf Dörper, Nils Finkeisen and Paul Keller. Be ready for a wall of sound.
Saturday, April 20th
Doors open 13.45hrs
King Satan (14.15-1500hrs). Opening on Saturday will be King Satan, industrial metal heretics born from the heart of Finland’s underground scene, weaving an extreme metal tapestry that melds dark electro, industrial elements and black/death metal influences together with raw energy of rock’n’roll.
Sister May (15.30-16.15hrs). Next in line will be Sister May, a progressive, alternative rock band hailing from Belgium.
DaGeist (16.15-1730hrs). This new wave, cold wave, darkwave, electro band hailing from Lille is formed by Davide Schiavoni and Frederic Strzelczyk. The project started in 2008 but it established momentum since 2015.
Sydney Valette (18.00-1900hrs). Hailing from France, through a varied and progressive career spanning several styles of electronic music, Sydney Valette upholds the highest levels of vision and discipline.
NNHMN (19.30-20.30hrs). NNHMN is a Berlin-based dark electronic music duo – creating moody and evocative music infected with haunted synth sounds, eerie ambiances and mysterious female vocals. Lee and Michal Laudarg embarked on a sonic journey on the thresholds of New Brutalist Theatre, experimental electronic music and techno culture.
OST+Front (21.00-22.00hrs). The Neue Deutsche Härte band was formed in 2008 by Patrick Lange who later changed his artistic name to Hermann Ostfront. They have come a long way from their beginnings, spinning out tunes and making crowds jump in festivals across the globe.
Suicide Commando (22.30-23.30hrs). The Belgian electro-industrial music act formed by Johan Van Roy in 1986. For live shows, he is accompanied by Torben Schmidt on keyboards, and Mario Vaerewijck on drums. The band performed at the Dark Malta Festival in 2019.
Front 242 (00.00-01.15hrs). Headlining on Saturday will be Front 242, a Belgian electronic music group that came into prominence during the 1980s. Pioneering the style they called electronic body music, they are a profound influence on the electronic and industrial music genres. Don’t miss out as this is Front 242’s final tour and might be your last occasion to watch them perform live on stage.
Sunday, April 21st
Doors open at 13.30hrs
Edges (14.00-14.45hrs). The post-punk duo, blending elements of darkwave, dreampop, punk, and shoegaze will open the last day of the festival.
Overcast Rain (15.15-16.00hrs). Founded 2014, Overcast Rain are a dark metal band hailing from Latvia.
ClubMurder (16.30-17.15hrs). Spewing twisted metal since 2005 and bringing four seasoned noisemakers to the stage sending audiences into a groovy frenzy, ClubMurder continues to hammer out more sonic terrorism from Malta.
Boytronic (17.45-18.45hrs). After 40 years of delivering some of the best Electropop, hailing form Germany, Boytronic will be making some noise for us at the Dark Malta Festival.
Ultra Sunn (19.15-20.15hrs). This post-punk / electro duo formed in 2019 in Brussels by Sam Hugé and Gaelle Souflet. ULTRA SUNN’s first track, “Night Is Mine” was released in September 2019 and is tinged with tailored classic analog synthesizers sounds that unfold on incisive techno-like beats.
The band likes to refer to the sounds of the past but keeps in mind its desire for modernity.
Grendel (20.45-21.45hrs). This Dutch band was formed back in 1997 and have been active since, delivering electro-industrial, EBN and synthpop influenced songs.
Pink Turns Blue (22.15.23.15hrs). Formed in 1985 this band formed part of the first generation of gothic rock wave in Germany. After a hiatus in 1995, the band came back in 2023 formed by Mic Jogwer, Paul Richter and Luca Sammuri.
Psyclon Nine (23.45-00.45hrs). Formed back in 2000, in San Francisco, California and known form their blend of electronic and industrial metal, Psyclon Nine will be closing the 5th edition of Dark Malta Festival.
More information can be obtained from the official Dark Malta Festival – 5th Anniversary facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/darkmaltafestival
Tickets can be obtained from trackagescheme.com.
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