The second edition of the Malta Biennale contemporary art platform will feature as many as 28 national and thematic pavilions doubling the number of participating pavilions from the first edition.

Out of the 28 pavilions participating in the Malta Biennale 2026 – 7 will be national pavilions, whilst the remainder will be thematic pavilions. The artists and curators of the pavilions cover the following 25 countries:

Australia, Belgium, China, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Malaysia, Malta, Morocco, Poland, Serbia, Spain, Turkey, Uganda, Ukraine, USA and Uzbekistan.

The national pavilions will be organised by: China, France, Italy, Malta, Poland, Serbia and Spain.

The Malta Biennale said that for the coming edition, there are also important collaborations with the: Gwangju Biennale, in which Malta will be participating next year (September – December 2026), via the national commissioner and partners of the Malta Biennale – Arts Council Malta, while another collaboration will take place with the Troy Museum in Turkey.

Furthermore, it said that through the pavilions, there will be further collaboration and direct engagement between local and international artists from various art fields including music, theatre and dance.

The pavilions which will be organised across two of the main Malta Biennale venues, Fort St Elmo in Valletta, and the Old Armoury of the Knights in Vittoriosa – will feature a mixture of art forms – from two- and three-dimensional art, to installations, to performance art and live action work.

Some of the pavilions have also incorporated an artist-in-residence programme, for participating artists to be able to produce site and space-specific work for the Malta Biennale 2026.

A dynamic programme of public events will also accompany the pavilions which include but are not limited to: interactive workshops and participatory events tailored to engage artists, students, schools, colleges, and the wider community.

The programme will feature artist-in-residence projects, public talks, lectures, and informal conversations, alongside more structured formats such as panel and round table discussions, conferences, and online dialogues with international experts. By combining on-site and online formats, these initiatives aim to foster dialogue, collaboration, and creative exploration.

Complementing these knowledge-sharing activities are hands-on workshops, demonstrations, communal sound gatherings, and audiovisual performances, all designed to cultivate collective experiences and deepen cultural exchange.

The Malta Biennale 2026, will take place from the 11th of March to the 29th of May, 2026 (March 11 – 13 preview days), across some 11 Heritage Malta historic sites and museums, in Valletta, Birgu, Xaghra and Gozo’s Cittadella.

Tickets for the Malta Biennale 2026, will be available for purchase via the Malta Biennale website – www.maltabiennale.art – on the 15th of December.

The Malta Biennale is a Heritage Malta initiative, organised in partnership with Arts Council Malta and in collaboration with Visit Malta, the Ministry of Culture, Lands and Local Government, and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Tourism.

File photo: Gozo News/Mario Xerri

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