Organisers of Mighty Hoopla Malta have confirmed that the 2026 edition has been cancelled due to rising costs in the airline industry.
The festival is a variation of the original Mighty Hoopla festival held in London, and was set to return to its site in Malta for the second edition this September – having first launched in 2025.
It was set to run between September 24 and 27, and host live performances from Sugababes, Agnes, Beth Ditto, Booty Luv, Gottmik, Jake Shears, Liberty X and more.
Today (Thursday May 7), organisers have revealed first to NME that they have made the difficult decision to cancel the event due to rising costs taking a toll, both on customers and in terms of production.
This, they shared, is primarily due to rising airline costs. As context, they revealed that customers were paying roughly £300 for flights and accommodation when the Malta edition first started, however this has now surged to nearly £450 on average.
“It is with a very heavy heart that we must inform you that, after much consideration, we are cancelling Mighty Hoopla Malta 2026,” organisers shared in a new statement. “After an incredible weekend in 2025, we had everything in place to not only replicate that magic for this year, but also deliver an even better show.”
“As you will no doubt have seen in the news, the airline industry is expecting disruption this summer and so we have been in contact with airlines connected to Malta to understand the likely impact,” they added, also saying that they have been told that, as a result, “fewer flights will be scheduled and that prices will likely go up.”
“This leaves us in a very different position to when we first launched the event,” the statement continued. “Last week, we sent out a survey regarding your travel and accommodation plans. From this, we are now aware that lots of you have not yet booked flights, and it’s clear that flight costs and availability are going to be a continued issue.
“We also realise this may prohibit others who wanted to join us due to the uncertainty of flying abroad.”
The statement added that customers should note that “this decision has not been taken lightly”, and shared thanks to “partners on the island along with all the airline carriers who we have been in contact with and have given us valuable insight into the future, so we could make this informed decision sooner rather than later.”
Those who have already booked tickets directly with Mighty Hoopla will receive a full refund including booking fees. Visit here for more information.
As for those who have booked flights and accommodation with other providers, Mighty Hoopla has shared that they intend to offer compensation in the form of credit or refunds relating to their London festival or future shows, if they do decide to cancel.
The first edition of Mighty Hoopla Malta was held between September 26 and 29 last year, and featured performances from Melanie C, Leigh-Anne, Trixie Mattel, Bimini, and Katy B.