I Did It: DLT Malta 2025 💃🏾🌍

Y’all, I did it. I went to DLT Malta 2025.

I’ve been talking about this trip since 2022, but really manifesting it since 2023.

And honestly? I didn’t think it would happen. Even though the festival ticket was paid off and housing was secured, life happened… and the flight wasn’t looking possible. But thanks to two people who knew how much this event meant to me, I made it. I’m still in awe.

Despite everything happening on my end, I can’t express how happy I am that I got to go. After taking a loss on my birthday trip this year, I refused to take another one with DLT. And if I had to, I would’ve. But in the wise words of Kanye: “We’ll never know.”

Malta Is That Girl 🇲🇹✨

First off, Malta is BEAUTIFUL. Of course, I wouldn’t be BreeLeaves if I didn’t turn this into a 2-for-1 trip—so yes, I had to swing past Rome. (But that’s a separate blog post. Stay tuned!)

Our Airbnb was in Sliema, overlooking the water. It was walking distance from restaurants, bars, and general vibes. Most of the DLT events were about 20 minutes away. You can peep the Airbnb here if you're curious—it was definitely a win.

So, About DLT 👀🎶

On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give DLT a 7/10—and here’s why.

Let’s start with the good:

• The festival took place June 5–9 and blended Afrobeats, Amapiano, and touches of Hip-Hop, Reggae, and Soca.

• The vibe? Very much a European festival. And when I say European, I mean UK—crowd, energy, music curation, all of it. I was hearing UK songs I had never heard before and I had been studying lol. I was deep in the UK charts for this festival lol

• That said, there were moments where I had to adjust my American expectations and let go of certain standards. The UK just doesn’t do festivals like we do in the U.S. VIP didn’t come with any perks and that’s okay. Once I accepted that, I had an amazing time.

  
  

Now the hiccup? Me and my homegirl won a giveaway—and when we went to claim our prize, they hit us with, “We gave them out.” Like… how you give away the bags that were reserved? 😭 But it’s cool. I took my L like a champ and kept it pushin’.

The Highlights 🌟

• I got to see Asake perform—and let me tell you, he is breathtaking. One of the best performers I’ve ever witnessed.

  

• I added a new country to my passport—#40!

• I spent time with old friends and made memories with new ones.

• And I got to immerse myself in culture.If you know me, you know I’m a child of the Diaspora. And in my personal Diasporic Trinity, my love for African culture comes second only to my love for Black American culture. So this? This was paradise. College me would think I was so cool. I can’t explain how happy I was to be there lol.

Cost Breakdown 💸

Here’s a general overview of what to expect if you’re planning DLT in the future:

• Festival Ticket: $700 for VIP

  • Includes access to exclusive viewing areas, queue bypass, dedicated bars, and private toilets

  • However prices are subject to change as most festivals do. Go ahead and sign up to be on the presale list so you can get them during release 1.

• Housing: ~$400 per person (Airbnb linked here)

• Transportation: Bolt (like Uber)—$10–$30 per ride

• Food + Drinks: $30–$50 per meal depending on the place

  • Shout out to LOA—you had no business being that delicious. Those bao buns are still living rent-free in my mind.

  • NAAR, had 2 for 1 cocktails for happy hour and that Salmon Pasta was definitely one of the best pasta dishes I’ve had in a while.

    

    

Final Thoughts 🌍❤️

DLT Malta was a dream I’ve been holding onto for years. And despite the stress, the uncertainty, and the hiccups—it happened. It was everything I needed and more.

To anyone thinking about going in the future: DO IT. If you know you like Afrobeats and Amapiano, want to travel and want to be around people would you wouldn’t regularly be around- GO. DLT is a whole mood, and I’m so grateful I got to experience it.