MICAS

MICAS is Malta's newest cultural destination and its first museum devoted to contemporary art. It occupies the old Ospizio complex and the San Salvatore bastions in Floriana, the town that stretches along the approach to Valletta, and it mixes sharp modern architecture with centuries old fortifications and sea views.

For a UK visitor it makes an easy companion to a day in the capital: right beside Valletta, it offers a different side of Malta from the Knights and baroque churches, with international artists responding to the islands in new work.

A museum built into the fortifications

The Ospizio was a Knights-era poorhouse that at one time served as a gunpowder store. A state-funded restoration, part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, repaired the San Salvatore Bastion and Counterguard, the Polverista Curtain, the La Vitoria bastion and the lower piazza, and turned more than 6,000 square metres of historic landscape into a place for art and culture.

The new architecture is by Carlo Terpolilli of the Florentine firm Ipostudio. A steel roof structure ties the scattered historic elements together, contrasting with the stone and sitting comfortably beside it. A sculpture by Maltese artist Ray Pitrè greets visitors at the entrance. The project cost €30 million and won the Project of the Year Award in 2025, along with prizes at the Arts Council Malta Awards and the Din l-Art Ħelwa Architectural Heritage Awards.

If the fortifications interest you, our Valletta guide and our guide to the Knights of Malta explain the history of the harbour defences that surround the museum.

What you can see

The galleries are flexible, with movable walls and interchangeable spaces, so the programme changes through the year. The opening exhibition in late 2024 was by Portuguese artist Joana Vasconcelos, and the permanent collection includes acquisitions by Ugo Rondinone and Conrad Shawcross.

Current and recent shows include A New Life Force, running from 10 October 2026 to 31 January 2027, with new paintings by Nathanaëlle Herbelin, Kemi Onabulé and Megan Rooney, curated by Artistic Director Edith Devaney. Other works on show are Between Sea and Land, Michele Oka Doner: The Palm Goddess for Malta, Cristina Iglesias: Sea Cave (Entrance) and Ugo Rondinone: the radiant. The museum also published a catalogue for Reggie Burrows Hodges: Mela, the Californian artist's first European solo exhibition, and holds talks and an international symposium on museums and heritage.

The outdoor sculpture garden, terraces and bastion spaces work as open-air galleries for sculpture and performance. A free guided exhibition tour runs every Sunday at 11am. For more ideas for your trip, see our guide to things to do in Malta.

Visiting: prices, access and the shop

Admission is €10 for adults, €7 for seniors and students, €4 for children aged 6 to 11, and free for under 5s. The building is fully step-free and suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs, with accessible toilets, baby changing rooms and parking for Blue Badge holders.

The museum shop was designed by the studio FormaFantasma and sells books, games, fashion, accessories and exclusive MICAS products, from souvenirs for families to gifts for art lovers. Several indoor and outdoor spaces can also be hired for events, standing or seated.

Floriana sits just outside Valletta, so most visitors stay in the capital or nearby resorts. Our guides to hotels in Valletta and where to stay in Malta help you choose, and the Upper Barrakka Gardens are a pleasant stop on the same walk.

Other museums and galleries, and how to ask

If you want to see more of Malta's cultural scene, our directory lists museums in Malta and art galleries in Malta across the islands.

To ask about visiting, group tours, venue hire or the exhibitions, use the VisitMalta.co.uk enquiry form on this page and we will pass your message to MICAS.