Its official – the summer season has officially started. And to kick it all off, Sunny Side Festival returned with a spectacular second edition. Since launching last year, SSF has firmly secured its place as the May highlight across Europe’s clubbing calendar. A weekend of sunshine, smiles and the best sounds, this is a festival starting to feel like home.
This year there was a similar format to the last – three core venues, each offering their own flavour. UNO, Malta’s powerhouse club, with its seamless indoor-outdoor flow. Tortuga Beach, the breezy seaside spot just made for the daytime dance at golden hour. And of course, the boats. This year saw two separate sails; one hosted by yours truly, Trommel, and the other by Ibiza’s not-so-secret-secret, Rhythm Point.
Friday’s opening session set the tone for the weekend – full throttle from the get-go. London’s Half Baked returned, this time joined by Norwegian party starters Det Gode Selskab. Treehouse takes centre stage inside – big, with a bold sound system, nestled inside a large glasshouse, surrounded by sweeping trees. By the time we arrived, Tresydos boss Mari.te was easing in the crowd with a slick blend of grooving party starters, sealed with feel-good rollers and sweetened melodies. Mike Shannon followed with bubbling basslines and rugged textures, expertly crafting the unique sound he is known for, marking the first live of the weekend.
Harry McKanna and Sam Bangura stepped up next. The Brainsurfers were as infections behind the decks as their tunes, charismatic as always with a chemistry unmatched. From deep and dubby to twisted and trippy, they well and truly lit the beacon, ready for the main act – the ever adored Sonja Moonear. With her signature grin, she tinkered through a blend of cheeky minimal and power basslines, bringing high energy pleasers until the last moment.
Over at Tropicana, something else had been brewing. Tucked amongst the trees, this open-air hideaway feels less like a club, more like a rave in a Balearic backyard. Bae2Bae had the crowd riled up nice and early, followed by Carlos Valdes spinning a more playful sound, equally as bouncing. Ryan Elliot returned for his second SSF birthday set, celebrating in style with turbocharged grooves and hefty low-end. A royal celebration, fit for a fest. BASHKA closed with raw house music, a final workout fuelled with grit.
Saturday brought sunshine to the iconic Tortuga Beach party, in the Northern-most tip of the island. Further afield but well worth the ride, this was without doubt a highlight of the first edition and this time, they’d switched things up even further. With a revamped setup, the stage had been perfectly repositioned to open up the dancefloor, making the most of those stunning sea views. Warm temperatures were eased with the ocean breeze, sweeping the music along from the speakers with it.
Mathew Jonson was sadly unable to make it, but JNJS filled the void with extra time on their own slot. Their deep, techy house came with extra oompf, as naughty as it was nice. An extended selection which only became more primed as it went on. Closing the afternoon were Love On The Rocks head honcho PARAMIDA and Enrica Falqui, bouncing off each other with big energy beats and growling basslines, expertly working the captivated crowd. All besides a beautiful sunset, one of those you can’t put into words.
Saturday night, it was back to UNO – and this time, the full takeover came from Yoyaku, continuing their rather large tour celebrating their 10 years anniversary. This year, we were introduced to the ROOTS stage and it was certainly a pleasant surprise. The glowing, open-air dome offered an idyllic dance spot, rounded with shining lights and big sounds to boot.
Margaret Dygas, ever the alchemist, cooked up an elegant trip, blending spacious basslines, sprinklings of jazz and sweetened classic vocals. Felipe Valenzuela followed with his newly constructed live set – a rare opportunity to see a special project, which has been several years in the making. He did not disappoint and it’s no wonder he decided to make the move to live performance. Valenzuela has crafted his own sound into an extended moment, full of warped beats, funk-fuelled melodies and pulsing rhythms – without doubt one of the festival’s most special moments.
Back in the Treehouse, Lamache and Bruno Schmidt went head-to-head. Another rare pairing that put two long associated friends and colleagues at the controls together, for an improvised session. Magda and Johnny Rock closed the stage together with a weightier sound, brimming with bass and lashings of acid. Meanwhile, Monile and Desiree Falessi kept ROOTS pumping with faster flavours of tech-house, lighting the energy until the end.
Sunday was boat day, and the headstrong among us would take to the ocean for a dance aboard the Sunny Side ships. The Trommel boat set sail at midday with an up for it crowd, drawn in by Hamish & Toby and Nesta. Rhythm Point had the second boat sailing later in the afternoon, with Hugo Martinez and Doudou MD sending the ship into orbit, as it glided along the beautiful Maltese coast.
Back on land, the festival came full circle for one final soiree at UNO. Lewis set a deeper tone in Tropicana, paving the way for Alexia Glensy b2b Alex Dima, who took the sunset slot with smooth, deep grooves wrapped in euphoric melodies. The terrace was packed already and the energy was set. As night fell, Danny & Luke (aka UJ/DV) finally took the reins – a well-earned moment and deserved slice of the action, as months of hard work were coming to a close. They set the stage for the final chapter, with Georgia, Dungeon Meat and CARISTA in toe. The beats became dirtier as the night went on, “Dungeon Meat in a beat” as I heard someone say. Tristan Da Cunha & Brawther had also returned for the second year running and they made sure to bring the stinkiest basslines along with them, next to smooth and luscious, deeper house.
With that, there was one performance left. CARISTA closed the festival with total fire and a contagious energy that spread from one person to the next. The United Identities label boss danced as hard as she played, storming through thumbing bass, high powered drops and house infusions – ending on an epic high, an edit of Grant Nelson’s ‘The Sound’ that had hands in the air and hearts totally full. A proper ending, to a pristine few days.
The story didn’t end there, of course. But what happens at the afters, stays at the afters. Let’s just say it was magical, bundled from one bus to another half way across the island, no idea where to, with a surprise villa waiting at the end. Complete with a clown, a magician and special guests from the festival at the controls – and that’s as much as you’re getting out of us.
Massive thanks to Danny, Luke, Tracy and the full Sunny Side Festival crew for having us back for another excellent edition. Malta is fast becoming a serious contender in the European party circuit – thanks to the sunshine, the energy, and a focus on the music and the moments, above all else.
Special shout out also to the artists who sat down with us across the weekend – keep your eyes peeled for series two of TROI Talks From The Sunny Side, expected to be shared later this year. In the meantime, catch up with last year’s chats, featuring Dana Ruh, Harry McKanna & Sam Bangura, Dungeon Meat, Magda and Satoshi Tomiiee.
Dates are already out for Sunny Side Festival 2026, which will be taking place 15th – 17th May. Trust us, you’ll want this one firmly marked in your calendar. Sign up now to be the first in the know.
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