The Malta Premier League will be hosting the Gozo Weekender for the second successive year next month, with some novelties.
Last season, the Kampjonat Malta Ltd, the official organisers of the Malta Premier League, organized the Gozo Weekender that saw a whole matchday from the Malta first-tier championship being played on the Sister Island.
“The 2026 Gozo Weekender marks one of the key milestones in the first season of operations for the Malta Premier League and the Kampjonat Malti Ltd,” a statement from the league organisers said.
“Following last year’s success, we are fully committed to matching, and hopefully surpassing those achievements this time around.”
In a press conference to launch the event, the league organisers announced that this year’s Gozo Weeekend will be spread over two separate weekends.
The first weekend will be held between April 11 and 12.
During this weekend, the three Top 6 matches from Match Week 28 will be beld at the Gozo Stadium, with two games played on Saturday and the other scheduled for Sunday.
The Bottom 6 fixtures from the same match week will be played in Malta.
The second part of the Gozo Weekenders will be held on April 18 and 19 and here the Bottom 6 matches from Match Week 30 will be played at the Gozo Stadium, with two played on Saturday and the other held on Sunday.
The three Top 6 matches from that match week will be played in Malta.
As part of this year’s event, the MPL is planning to have all top-flight clubs assemble a youth selection, made up of players from the U10 and U12 categories to participate in a friendly tournament in Gozo.
“This event will also feature Gozitan clubs of the same age groups and aims to strengthen the collaboration between clubs through football and community spirit,” the organisers said.
Malta Premier League CEO Alan Abela said that the event is a perfect opportunity for Gozitan football fans to watch Malta’s top division matches on their island.
“This initiative allows us to cross over to Gozo once again and give the Gozitan public the opportunity to watch Malta’s top division matches up close,” said Malta Premier League CEO Alan Abela.
“According to a study commissioned by the Malta Premier League (MPL), last year’s Gozo Weekender generated more than 2,300 bed nights in Gozo.
“This year we estimate that the initiative will generate around €600,000 for the Gozitan economy.”
The draws for the Closing Round Top 6 and Bottom 6 will take place next Monday, when it will be determined which matches from Match Week 28 and Match Week 30 will be played in Gozo.
For the first time, Football Video Support (FVS) will also be used in Gozo.
The technology will be back in operation for the next phase of the Malta Premier League, meaning that it will be used for the matches scheduled in Gozo.
During the announcement, Abela revealed that the Malta Premier League has registered an increase in attendances of 23,000 spectators when compared to the same period last season.
“We remain committed to continuing to raise the profile of the Malta Premier,” Abela said.
“Attendances are increasing year after year, and during this Opening Round alone we registered an increase of 23,000 spectators compared to the same period last season.”
Abela ended his address by thanking Gozo and Planning Minister Clint Camilleri for his support as well as GFA president Dr Samuel Azzopardi for their collaboration in the organization of the event.
