TAKE ME BACK TO MALTA
For those of us who were lucky enough to attend DLT (Days Like This) Malta in 2022, we know it was a weekend of memories. Sipping on alcoholic slushies, the sun beating down on you, chanting to PALAZZO in unison. It really doesn’t get better than this.
DLT started in 2016 as a premium daytime events brand in London and quickly became one of the most sought-after events in the nation’s capital. But, as with all events brands across the globe, the coronavirus pandemic put Black nightlife on pause for a series of months, and no one knew when we’d be allowed back outside. Many Gen-Z and millennial diasporans had witnessed major releases in the Black music space during this time, yet had been restricted to enjoying these records within the four walls of our homes.
Then came 2022. With what felt like a near-infinite number of lockdowns finally becoming a distant memory, summer 2022 was already hyped up as the summer outside. We were all itching for a chance to come together and shake leg, vaccine passports in hand. After becoming accustomed to event cancellations, poor ticket return policies, and the continuous surprise covid-19 restrictions, DLT announcing their inaugural international festival located on the sunny beaches of Malta seemed too good to be true.
From the lineup, it was clear that we would finally have the chance to celebrate world-renowned artists such as Nigeria’s Starboy Wizkid, who had just broken international records with his viral hit Essence featuring Tems; and Kaytranada, who had won two Grammys with his sophomore album BUBBA. Both artists’ careers had catapulted during the pandemic, but we’d only enjoyed their music inside. And now, thanks to DLT, we were given the opportunity to dance to these superstars on a sunny island, as well as hear homegrown talent including The Compozers, Amaria BB and WSTRN.
To say that the festival felt like a movie is a gross understatement. The venues chosen by the DLT team were perfect - nighttime parties at the open-air club UNO showcased a wide range of Black genres like amapiano and house, and the iconic poolside party at Cafe Del Mar had partygoers watch the sunset over the island with cocktails in hand. Finally, Wizkid rounded off the party at Gianpula, opened by heavyweights Rema, Shenseea and Juls.
DLT Malta 2022 will go down in history as being the perfect return to normalcy after a couple of years cooped up inside. It genuinely felt like a ‘pinch me’ moment dancing to Kaytranada scantily clad in a sea of Black people, all experiencing collective moments of joy and happiness.
With little over a month till Black Brits return to the beaches of Malta, flaunting their latest summer outfits and discovering new crazy cocktails. DLT jets Asake, SIR, Masego, Gabzy, JayO, Tiana Major9 and more for a weekend of live music, memories and laughter from 30th May till the 4th June.
Now have you got your ticket? Or are you going to be watching snaps from home?
