The sun is beating down on this tiny rock and everyone is yearning for an afternoon siesta. Work takes a back seat and many seek refuge on the beach. But while some might extend their stay by the sea and organise a barbecue, for thousands of Maltese a familiar scent will float on the warm evening breeze at the end of this month – malt, hops… beer!

It might not exactly be Malta's answer to the Oktoberfest, but you can be rest assured that the annual Farsons Great Beer festival will give you a better cross section of local society than anything else. Just venture to the Ta' Qali park between July 28 and August 6 and see for yourself. Trendy youths wearing the latest designer wear will clink beer bottles and rub shoulders (and burgers) with elderly people wheeling their grandchildren. The youngsters will be rocking away to the new band on the block, while their fathers will be trying to prove they still have what it takes to down a pint in record time.

The Farsons Great Beer Festival is here and it's time to guzzle down the pints... and soak in the fun. The 26th edition promises to be another success story with an array of local and international beers and the best local artists and bands. With over 300 hours of music, 40 live performances, 15 bars, two stages, a daily beer drinking competition, thousands of visitors and ample parking space, the Farsons festival is the biggest and most diverse outdoor festival organised in Malta.

The festival has become such a popular summer event that the public has started planning other events around it, according to research carried out by the company. An estimated 70,000 people visit the venue at Ta' Qali Park every year. The festival was held for the first time in 1981 at the Farsons brewery in Mriehel and then shifted to San Anton Gardens before relocating again to Ta Xbiex gardens for a number of years. As it continued to grow in size the festival moved to Ta' Qali Park five years ago - and with better parking facilities, it has proved to be a wise move.
The greatest attraction at the festival is of course, the beer! There are a handful of things the Maltese are renowned for. Apart from creating the best fireworks this part of the world, there is one firm which has been producing world-class beer for decades.

Ask any Maltese person for a beer, and he will soon redirect you towards Cisk, a golden-coloured, bottom-fermented lager, produced by Simonds Farsons, which has won several international awards in the last few years. Apart from Cisk, Farsons also produces the fine Blue Label, Hopleaf and Shandy, among others. But if you want to stick to your traditional beer, then you may opt for all kinds of beers that flood the senses like Carlsberg, Budweiser, Guinness, Kilkenny, Beck's or Corona.

But the 10-day festival is not all about drinking, many will be glad to hear. The venue is dotted with various food stands offering a wide variety of cuisines from Maltese to Chinese to Turkish. When you finally need to take a break, the large outdoor seating area provides the perfect setting. The festival is also a celebration of the best in local musical talent. Every evening different performances are presented on two stages with the main platform this year featuring a host of Maltese singers and bat including Ira Losco, Winter Moods, Fabrizio Faniello and Ivan Fillettii

A designated play area for young children will also be set up with games and activities creating a truly festive atmosphere. All in alI the Farsons Malta Beer Festival is a beer lovers' paradise but still offers plenty to those of a festive nature with less of a thirst.

For more info, visit: http://www.farsons.com/beerfestival/