Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1541835
Port region granted Region of Culture title for 2026 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 DECEMBER 2025 THERE are six official regions in Malta, each one of them with its own unique identity, traditions, customs and cultur- al attractions. A network of dedicated individuals and voluntary organisations make life for the residents in their locali- ties highly active and colourful through- out the year. Their annual socio-cultural activities attract thousands of people from across the Maltese Islands and tourists. A steady stream of funding schemes and other methods of assistance help the regions' various local councils to come up with more initiatives and projects for the benefit of their com- munities. The annual granting of the Region of Culture title, first started in 2023, is yet another injection of sus- tenance and support to local govern- ment entities. The Port Region was re- cently named as the Region of Culture for 2026 after the Gozo Region's highly successful tenure of the precious title this year. The 2023 and 2024 titles had been granted to the Southern Region and the Eastern Region respectively. Made up of the localities of Birgu, Bormla, Isla, Kalkara, Valletta, Furja- na, Xgħajra, Ħaż-Żabbar, Fgura, Paola and Ħal Tarxien, the Port Region will, throughout the whole of 2026, be cel- ebrating its rich cultural heritage with a full calendar of cultural activities in all of the localities. Launched by the Local Government Division and the Local Councils' As- sociation in 2022, the primary aim of this wonderful initiative is to widely promote the traditional and cultural roots of Malta and Gozo. The regions themselves serve as an ideal platform for the combined recog- nition and celebration of those very roots. In her address during the announcement ceremony of the Region of Culture for 2026, the Parliamen- tary Secretary for Local Government, Alison Zera- fa Civelli, said the chosen region is endowed with one of the most beauti- ful ports in the world, ar- chaeological sites that go back thousands of years, bastions and fortifications that have stood solid for centuries and surviving various wars, church- es, museums, auberges and palaces that have a unique story to tell. She said that although local- ities in the Port Region vary in territorial and de- mographical size, all of them are rich in their di- verse values. The Parliamentary Sec- retary added: "Since only a few years ago, there has been a marked presence of tourists visiting the Port Region localities. A com- pletely new and warming experience. It is all due to the commitment of each and every one within the local councils spread around the region. The Region of Culture title is yet another opportunity for these localities to continue to grow and regenerate without losing their identities." During the same activity, Parliamentary Secretary Zerafa Civelli expressed her thanks to the Gozo Region which successfully carried the title this year with a vast programme of religious activities, folk- lore and the Gozitan cui- sine. Another speaker was Emile Vassallo, Director General of the Division of Local Government, who reiterated that the Region of Culture title was in it- self an opportunity for the Port Region to celebrate the roots and traditions that have featured within their localities for centu- ries. The President of the Port Region, Paul Farrugia, revealed that the motto for the Region of Culture 2026 will be "Where his- tory is anchored and the waves guide us". He de- scribed the granting of the title as yet another op- portunity for the various local councils to become more resilient as they up- grade the value of their localities in the eyes of their Maltese and foreign residents as well as the ever-growing number of tourists. THIS IS A PAID COLLABORATION