The 24th Farsons Great Beer Festival will once again be held in the gardens of Ta' Qali National Park from 23 July to 1 August 2004. The festival is open from 7.30pm onwards and entrance is free.

“With over 300 hours of music, 40 live performances, 15 bars, two stages, a daily beer drinking competition, thousands of people and ample parking space, the Farsons Great Beer Festival will be sure to appeal to everyone,” said Ray Grech, General Manager – Marketing and Export at Simonds Farsons Cisk plc. “The Farsons Great Beer Festival is the biggest and most diverse outdoor festival organised in Malta. This year’s festival offers a great atmosphere with and impressive line-up of entertainment.”

However the greatest attraction at the Farsons Great Beer Festival is the beer! The largest range of local and international beers will be served at the festival. Local beers include Cisk Lager, Hopleaf Smooth ‘N’ Creamy and Blue Label Smooth 'N' Creamy. International beer brands include Cisk Export, Carlsberg, Budweiser, Guinness, Kilkenny, John Smith’s Beck's and Corona.

For the second year running, beer drinkers have the opportunity of collecting the official Beer Festival mug, which is an excellent souvenir to take home. This is available at all the bars and is offered full of the beer of choice. A limited stock of these specially printed mugs makes them a unique collector’s item.

Apart from a variety of beer and food stalls serving international cuisine, light meals and snacks, visitors can also enjoy live music. Every evening different shows are presented on two stages. The Main Stage features a host of many Maltese singers such as Freddie Portelli, Ira Losco, Lynn Faure, William Mangion, Enzo Gusman, Winter Moods, Mike Spiteri, Julie & Ludwig, Claudette Pace and Fabrizio Faniello among others.

Top local bands including Corkskrew, Beangrowers, Stilair, Scream Daisy, Crosswalk, Hooligan, Rug, Scar and Fakawi will perform live at the Rock Stage @ World Beers Area.

Mr Matthew Cuomo, Beer Festival Organiser said, “The Rock Stage @ World Beers Area, introduced in recent years, with live performances by top local rock bands has quickly become an alternative night out for many young people.”

Radio station XFM 100.2 will be broadcasting the daily evening live show from the Rock Stage @ World Beers Area from 9.30pm to 11.00pm. A schedule of the performances being held on the Main Stage and the Rock Stage @ World Beers Area is available on www.farsons.com/beerfestival

In addition, on Wednesday, 28 July, the character Frankie Quattromani will be hosting the Main Stage as well as roaming around the festival entertaining the crowds, whilst Ira Losco will be at the Vodafone stand from Monday 26 July to Sunday 1 August signing her latest CD entitled I’m in Love Again. The CD can be purchased from the Exotique stand at the festival.

The Farsons Great Beer Festival offers big fun for everyone including kids of all ages. A designated play area for young children has also been set up with many games and activities creating a truly festive atmosphere.

The 24th edition of the Farsons Great Beer Festival is sponsored for the first time by Vodafone Malta Limited, Danone, Peperami, Veneziani Croissants, Mars Ice Creams, Surplus and Adventure Equipment Store, Sunshine Snacks and HP sauces.