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TRIIP Festival Malta Review: What to Expect, What It Costs, and My Honest Take

TRIIP Festival Malta was not one of the festivals on my bucket list. This trip happened because my friend Olivia was dying to go (she’s a huge FISHER fan), and she hit me with the classic: “You love traveling for festivals… come with me?”

At first I was like… “Malta?! I don’t know her,” but once I started researching the country, I had that moment where I was like: Wait… this is actually kind of perfect. A new destination + a new festival = very on brand for me.

And honestly? Even with a major last-minute curveball, TRIIP ended up being one of the most unique festival weekends I’ve done.

If you’re considering going, this post will help you decide if TRIIP is your vibe, what it costs, and what the events are actually like.

The costs: was TRIIP worth the money?

One of the biggest reasons I said yes was the price. Compared to most international festivals, TRIIP felt surprisingly affordable.

Here’s what I paid:

  • 3-Day VIP Festival Pass: $257.41
  • Host Hotel (Bora Bora Ibiza Malta Resort): $825.65 for 5 nights (Wednesday–Monday)
  • Boat Party (optional add-on): $60.61

So if you’re the type of person who wants a festival weekend that feels like a vacation + party schedule, TRIIP can actually be a solid value. You’ll still spend money on food, drinks, rides, and whatever tourist activities you squeeze in, but these are pretty low-cost on the island.

The plot twist: FISHER canceled…while we were traveling there

My friend Nimbe, Olivia, and I spent a few days in London before the festival. Then Wednesday came: time to fly to Malta.

We decided to do an early flight… and while we were waiting at the airport, the news hit. FISHER announced he couldn’t attend his own festival last-minute because his baby was about to be born.

And listen… we fully understood. Family comes first, but emotionally? It definitely put a damper on the start of the Malta portion. We had basically built the trip around seeing him perform multiple times in one weekend.

We landed in Malta right before 10:00 AM and went straight to the TRIIP host hotel, Bora Bora Ibiza Malta Resort.

We explored a lot of Malta between Wednesday and Friday, but I’m not even going to pretend that part won’t turn into me writing a full essay about how Malta bars were serving the best 2-for-1 happy hour margaritas for $8.00.

So let’s get into the festival.

What TRIIP is actually like

TRIIP isn’t just one location. It’s a weekend program across different venues around the island, with the main nighttime venue being UNO.

Night 1 at UNO

Friday’s lineup brought Mau P, Chris Lake, Wade, Kölsch, and Kevin De Vries and it was a strong opening night.

Walking into UNO, we noticed trees everywhere, and it was open-air. The venue was fully decked out in TRIIP decor and had two stages, so we could bounce around all night depending on who we wanted to see.

Even with FISHER’s cancellation hanging in the air, the sets were so good that it still felt like:
“Ok… we’re doing this. This weekend is going to be fun.”

Day 2: Cafe Del Mar pool party

Saturday took us to the Cafe Del Mar pool party with Cloonee, Franky Rizardo, Arielle Free, and Coco & Breezy, and THIS is where the weekend really turned around.

The venue overlooks the Mediterranean Sea, the sun is out, everyone’s in swimwear, and it finally felt like people moved out of the “FISHER canceled” mindset.

Also, this was one of those festival moments I love: I met up with a friend I met at Tomorrowland 2023… in Malta. Across the world. Same community, different country.

We also met a group of guys who invited us to their table, and that honestly made the experience 10 times better because VIP is always more fun when you actually have people around you vibing, not just standing around.

Then the cherry on top…My friend spotted Cloonee, and we got to meet him before his set. It felt like the universe was taking care of us after the news of FISHER’s cancellation.

Night 2 at UNO: Eliza Rose stole the show

Saturday night was back at UNO for Cloonee, Solardo, Eliza Rose, and more.

I loved the entire night, but Eliza Rose was PHENOMENAL.

It was my first time seeing her live and she completely surprised me in the best way. The energy, the song selection, the way she controlled the room… it was one of those sets that makes you immediately want to see the artist again.

If you have yet to see Eliza Rose live, I highly recommend catching a set of hers when you can!

Day 3: the boat party…aka my near-death experience (but also a great story)

Sunday was the boat party, and I’m going to be honest: part of me wishes I never boarded that boat.

We were so excited, the vibe was HIGH! Solardo was headlining. We were ready.

We boarded what looked like a pirate ship in Marsamxett Harbour, set out into the Mediterranean, went around Valletta, and headed toward Valletta Harbour.

At first, the music was getting the crowd moving, and it felt amazing.

Then we hit the open sea, and the water was EXTREMELY choppy. At one point, we were on the side of the ship and it tipped so far that if I extended my hand, I swear I could’ve touched the water. That’s when I was like: we need to move, IMMEDIATELY!!

We made our way toward the back of the ship (near the dancefloor) trying to dance and ignore the fact that the ship felt like it was about to go under, but it was hard to even stand still because of the waves.

And then the moment that fully sent me: the music briefly stopped because the DJ almost fell… and he said, “Everyone grab onto something!”

I was just standing there thinking:
WHAT IS GOING ON… because the set was still popping off, but I truly felt like we were one bad wave away from becoming a news headline.

After about 30 minutes, we finally made it into Valletta Harbour and the water calmed down. At this point, my life had already flashed before my eyes, but I was also like… ok, this is actually fun again. Then I remembered we still had to go back through the open sea to return to the dock.

While Sonny Fodera was playing, we headed back out. This time we went up to the second floor, and luckily it didn’t feel as intense up there.

I have never felt more relieved getting off a boat.

So here’s my honest take:

  • The bad parts were BAD
  • But when the water was calm? It was so fun
  • It’s also a super unique experience. Partying on a pirate ship off the coast of Malta is not something you do every day

Would I do it again? Maybe… maybe not…but if you’re thinking of booking the boat party, my biggest advice is: Check the water conditions that day so you know what you’re walking into. We were completely caught off guard.

The Castle Party at Fort St. Elmo: 10/10

After the boat party, we went to the Castle Party at Fort St. Elmo, with Sonny Fodera headlining and LF System right before him.

This venue was SO dope! When we walked in, our eyes opened up in excitement because we were literally partying inside a fort!

Not every day you can say you danced in a fort built in the 1500s.

10/10 event because of the location, the sound, and the crowd’s energy.

If someone asked me, “What’s the must-do event at TRIIP?”
This would be at the top of my list.

Closing night

After the castle party, we grabbed dinner before the final night at UNO.

I didn’t go to closing night because I had an early flight the next day, and honestly, I was still a little shaken up by the boat situation.

But Olivia and Nimbe went, and they said Sosa was incredible, followed by an INSANE b4b:
Loco Dice b2b Paco Osuna b2b Nic Fanciulli b2b Andrea Oliva.

Final verdict: should you go to TRIIP Festival?

Even with the chaos of the boat party and the major disappointment of missing FISHER, I’d still recommend TRIIP Festival… especially if you’ve never been to Malta.

Here’s who I think TRIIP is perfect for:

You should go if…

  • You want a festival that feels like a vacation + multiple events
  • You love house/tech house vibes and want a weekend that’s social and fun
  • You like the idea of unique venues 
  • You want to experience a new country while still getting a full festival weekend

You might skip it if…

  • You’re only going for one artist (because anything can happen)
  • You don’t like venue-hopping, or you prefer one massive mainstage festival

My biggest tips if you go

  • Treat it like a destination trip: explore Malta and plan your downtime around the festival events
  • If you’re doing the boat party: check sea conditions, and stay on upper levels if it gets rough.
  • Don’t sleep on the “special venue” events (the Fort St. Elmo party was a standout).
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