“I was laughing, crying and bent over whining” – @DLTBrunch Malta 2022 Review

As soon as you hear ‘DLT’ next to any international location, just think – ‘Grown n Sexy’. After spending my New Years’ in Ghana with them at the Polo Beach Club, I knew that I’d be ready to attend their parties anywhere in the world for the sweet taste of highly curated, quality enjoyment.

It was a mellow February afternoon when the phase one announcement of Kaytranada, BNXN, Lojay, Rema and Shenseea flooded across my timeline, and I knew instantly that I had to be there. It was as if the impending DLT Malta had become Christmas, and the rollout of performing acts was like the opening of a juicy advent calendar, that just kept getting better. However, when it was confirmed that Wizkid would be headlining, I absolutely scrambled! Group chats were created, plans were initiated and Monzo saving pots were generated. 

The last two years have been an absolute whirlwind emotionally, physically, socially…. All the ‘allys’ have been tested. Hence, my personal dedication and reservation of the year 2022 to pure enjoyment, and my God, how I enjoyed, but we’ll get to that in a bit. 

First, let’s talk about the trials and tribulations we all faced to attend this once-in-a-lifetime bruk-fest. DLT Malta was truly an event curated for the culture’s strongest soldiers because trying to get the trip patterned was an emotional rollercoaster. First, the pre-launch tickets sold out quicker than I could even decide which hotel I even wanted to stay at; then, and I’m not ashamed to say it, the prices hit me in my chest.

HOWEVER, I bit the bullet and I’d bite it again. Next year I may even do the Hotel Package, because having pre-drinks, afternoon pool party AND after-party motives right on your doorstep seemed absolutely priceless. 

The final hurdle us party merchants had to overcome was the rush for last-minute flights. In just two weeks, flights quadrupled in price. For those hoping to come to DLT Malta 2023, flight tickets are already looking stewpid, so my advice would be to either start budgeting now or opt for long layovers to gift yourself a few hours to sightsee in another country. 

With all the major hurdles out of the way, counting down to the final few days became a survival of the most organised – the 16th of June came like a thief in the night. Absolutely nothing was prepped, not my hair, my nails, my wax – NOTHING! Luckily a few of my girls had flown into Malta earlier and were able to assure me that Malta had everything I needed to get holiday ready from Nail Techs to cheap and cheerful wax specialists. Ok, I’m done with the pre-amble.

Simply put, DLT Malta was incredible. A small sunny island that I’ve never had any intention of visiting, has now become home to some of my favourite memories. I even cried at one point because of how incredibly special it felt, like genuine tears too. Not even a sexy cry, my eyes were closed and my mouth was wide open. 

We landed on Thursday afternoon and after stopping off in our apartment to get ready and pre-drink we made our way to the first venue, Uno, which gave off 5-star, enchanted Jurassic Park vibes. Fairy lights lit the way from the entrance to the stage, and as the crowd started to trickle in, it was magical to watch everyone glow under the moon and stage lights.

Everyone was on good vibes from the beginning. We were whining and dipping to the best Afro-beats, Afro-house, RnB, and Soul from the likes of ManLikeNaija, Native Sound System, Sef Kombo, and Kabza De Small. It was in the middle of the dance floor that I made a bunch of new friends, who, by the end of the night I was professing my love to and going halves on shots with. It was the perfect beginning to a night that ended in a crescendo of singing, screaming, jumping, and dancing as Kaytranada took to the stage, with an incredible light show to match. 

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The following day saw the event split between a boat party hosted by AAA and pool party hosted by Dankie Sounds with special shout-outs to DJ Laj who gave us an incredible afrobeats set, amongst Dankie’s signature amapiano and house vibes. Both events were essentially very lit pre-drink and chill sessions. Plenty of people were still arriving and so it was the first chance many of us got to see each other in the daytime, hence a radiating sense of joy and gratitude that was heightened by hot sun, warm water and glistening bodies.

For those coming next year, please can I just say that there really is no such thing as a Malta body. The good vibes, confidence, and whiny waistlines are all you need to have a good time. 

That evening we were blessed again with a range of ‘Homegrown’ performances taking place from Jurassic’s paradise (aka UNO) hosted by our favourite energy provider, Remi Burgz, which featured the likes of M1llionz, WSTRN, The Compozerz, and a surprise performance from Backroad Gee. I think it was at this point that I lost my voice, as the whole night was somewhere in between a massive Karaoke session and jumping mosh pit. Was it the alcohol or was I just drunk off the joy? Was it the green (which is legal in Malta by the way), or was I just high off the vibes? I guess we’ll never know.

As Friday blended into Saturday, we spent the day preparing for the official Cafe Del Mar Pool party, a breathtakingly beautiful venue that saw everyone arrive in their sexiest daytime drip. We swayed in, to the sweet sounds of RNB played by Buttery Hotness, serenaded by our fave MC Charlie Mase. It was also the first day we really got to enjoy a range of Reggae, Bashment, and Dancehall sets complimented by performances from IQ and Amaria BB. Tables lined the dancefloor and there were gyrating bodies as far as the eye could see. With Saturday being the penultimate night, by the time the sun began to set, tensions were high for those looking to lock in a cheeky holiday romance. (Not me though, I secured my whines from early.)

And now for Sunday, the night that saw me laughing, crying, and bent over whining – absolutely incredible scenes. As per usual, we arrived early to ensure we got the best seats in the venue, which was perched up on the wall surrounding the stage. We enjoyed back-to-back sets from AAA and RBC, hosted by our fave Tinyman alongside performances from, the incredible, Lojay, BNXN, Benjiflow Juls, Boj, Rema, Shenseea, Wizkid and a surprise performance from Tom Moutchi, who gave us an electric performance of his unreleased debut track ‘Antoinetta’. Honourable shout out also to Selecta Suave for a banging closing set that had everyone screaming their lungs out to the open stars. The whole experience felt too good to be true, it was almost transcendent. The setup felt like I was watching a performance on ends, except ends was in Malta, and it was hot and there were stars and everyone was skin out. Nonetheless, there was something extremely nostalgic about sitting on a brick wall, watching and singing along to some of my favourite musicians’, side by side with my family. 

History was definitely created over those four magical days in ways I don’t think many of us can yet comprehend. Moments like this, hold so much wealth and richness for those who are able to really appreciate what it takes to conceptualise and deliver something of this scale. 

After 1,000 words, this review has definitely exceeded the modern-day attention span, but for those still reading, I just want to say a massive congratulations to the whole DLT and Pollen team for making this event a reality. It was a truly incredible experience, and I can’t wait to see the team continue to flourish!

If you didn’t know already, DLT Malta 2023 is back, sign up to the mailing list here

With love from the GUAP Team