MCAST is happy to announce that KampuSajf 2026: Playgrounds for Emergence was a success, taking place from 6 to 8 August at the MCAST Institute for the Creative Arts (ICA) Campus in Mosta. This year’s fourth edition of the festival was sponsored by APS Bank and was curated by artistic directors Elyse Tonna and Justin Galea.

For three evenings, the ICA Mosta Campus was transformed into a lively venue for contemporary artistic practice, with audiences able to move easily among the performances, installations, film screenings, and live music. The various works were shown in the campus gardens, in the upper sections and at the amphitheatre, bringing the campus to life in ways which went well beyond its normal educational role.

The theme this year, Playgrounds for Emergence, focused on the initial phases of artistic creation—specifically, how ideas evolve through experimentation, collaboration, and testing. The programme brought artists, students and audiences together in a common space, illustrating MCAST’s dedication to cultural engagement and creative development.

At the festival, there was a large attendance on all three nights, and the performances and programmes were well received by the audiences over the weekend. The variety and quality of the programme—including multidisciplinary installations, movement, architecture, theatre and live music—attracted a wide variety of people to the ICA Mosta Campus and once again strengthened KampuSajf’s standing as one of Malta’s most distinctive summer arts events.

The fourth edition took place at the same time as MCAST’s 25th anniversary, which heightened the importance of a festival that has grown steadily since its inception and continues to serve as a platform for both emerging and established artists to reach new audiences.

Acknowledgements

MCAST would like to express its warm thanks to APS Bank for their ongoing and generous sponsorship of KampuSajf, as it is thanks to their support that the festival can take place every year.

A sincere thank you to artistic directors Elyse Tonna and Justin Galea, whose vision, dedication and creative leadership influenced every part of Playgrounds for Emergence — from the very first curatorial decisions up to the last night of the festival.

MCAST would also like to thank all the artists, collectives and organisations who donated their skills and energy to the programme this year, enabling the theme of Playgrounds for Emergence to be realised over three wonderful evenings.

I would like to express my thanks to the MCAST staff who gave their all behind the scenes to ensure the festival ran smoothly; their dedication and professionalism were essential to its success.

Above all else, I would like to thank each and every member of the public who attended KampuSajf 2026; it is your presence, your curiosity and your enthusiasm that provide the festival with its energy and its purpose.