Ever since its birth back in 2021, The Festival has proven to be one of the most diversified live poker events when it comes to scheduling. Whether ordinary Texas NLH or more niche Mixed Games are one’s preferred poison, The Festival has it all. The most recent event was The 2025 Festival Weekend Sviten Special Edition that was held in Tallinn, June 16-19. Before that, it was The 2025 Festival Rozvadov at the legendary King’s Resort.
Now, it’s soon time for the series to head to the paradise island in the Mediterranean. Folks, get ready for The 2025 Festival Malta.
Something for Everyone
The 2025 Festival Malta will be held from September 15 to September 21 at the Portomaso Casino. This is the third consecutive time the series visits the island, which is arguably one of the most luxurious poker destinations in the world. As is always the case with The Festival, the Malta tournament schedule doesn’t disappoint. Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk is the founder of The Festival, and his passion and love for Mixed Games shine through the schedule.
That being said, the €550 Main Event is a Texas NLH tournament. It’s a three-day affair with five starting-day flights, and if there’s anything to learn from the previous events, it’s going to be a big one. During the last stop in Rozvadov, the Main Event attracted 1,053 entries. Czech Ondrej Maj claimed €91,000, the biggest slice of the €500,000 prize pool. It wouldn’t be a big surprise if the upcoming Malta edition scored similar numbers.
One Main Event isn’t enough for Franke, however. There is also a €500 Mixed Games Main Event on the schedule. There are two Day 1 flights for this behemoth, prior to the finale of this two-day affair. There’s no overlap between the two Main Events, meaning all players will be able to participate in both tournaments.
Another tournament on the schedule that deserves to be highlighted is the €250 Hendon Mob Championship. The relationship between The Festival and THM is strong; in fact, during the recent event in Rozvadov, the biggest-ever THM Championship tournament was held with a whopping 2,417 entries. By cashing in a THM Championship, players get a unique flag on their THM profile, so it is no wonder these events are so popular.
The €350 Mystery Bounty is also back by popular demand. The thrill of a live poker mystery bounty tournament cannot be beaten; the excitement when the bounty hunters pull their envelopes is always nerve-wracking.
While these may be the “big four” of The 2025 Festival Malta, the event features many, many more tournaments with various buy-ins. Whether you prefer Texas NLH, PLO4/5/6, Sviten Special, 8-Game, Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw, Open Face Chinese… The Festival has it all, and with over 20 unique tournaments on the schedule, it’s more or less impossible not to have a good time during a The Festival event.
The 2025 Festival Malta – Full Tournament Schedule
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| September 12 | 2:00 p.m. | €70 Main Event Satellite (Texas or Mixed Games, Three €550 Tickets Guaranteed) |
| 6:00 p.m. | €35 THM Championship Satellite (Five €250 Tickets Guaranteed) | |
| September 13 | 2:00 p.m. | €70 Main Event Satellite (Texas or Mixed Games, Three €550 Tickets Guaranteed) |
| 6:00 p.m. | €35 THM Championship Satellite (Five €250 Tickets Guaranteed) | |
| September 14 | 1:00 p.m. | €250 THM Championship Day 1a |
| 2:00 p.m. | €550 Mixed Games Main Event Day 1a | |
| 6:00 p.m. | €35 THM Championship Satellite Day 1b (Five €250 Tickets Guaranteed) | |
| September 15 | 2:00 p.m. | €250 THM Championship Day 1b |
| 3:30 p.m. | €550 Mixed Games Main Event Day 1b | |
| 7:00 p.m. | €70 Main Event Super Satellite (Three €550 Tickets Guaranteed) | |
| 8:00 p.m. | €2/€2 Texas NLH Cash Game Challenge | |
| 8:30 p.m. | €125 NLH Win the Button Midnight Madness | |
| 10:30 p.m. | €2/€2 PLO Cash Game Challenge | |
| September 16 | 12:00 p.m. | €550 Main Event Day 1a |
| 12:30 p.m. | €350 Sviten Special | |
| 12:30 p.m. | €550 Mixed Games Day 2 | |
| 3:00 p.m. | €125 Roulette Championship | |
| 7:00 p.m. | €70 Main Event Satellite (Five €550 Tickets Guaranteed) | |
| 7:30 p.m. | €250 THM Championship Day 1c | |
| 8:00 p.m. | €2/€2 Texas Cash Game Challenge | |
| 8:00 p.m. | €125 Deuce-to-Seven Double Draw | |
| 10:30 p.m. | €2/€2 PLO Cash Game Challenge | |
| September 17 | 12:00 p.m. | €550 Main Event Day 1b |
| 12:00 p.m. | €250 THM Championship Day 2 | |
| 12:30 p.m. | €350 8-Game | |
| 4:00 p.m. | €125 Blackjack Championship | |
| 5:00 p.m. | €1,100 PLO Highroller | |
| 7:00 p.m. | €70 Main Event Satellite (Five €550 Tickets Guaranteed) | |
| 8:00 p.m. | €2/€2 PLO Cash Game Challenge | |
| 8:30 p.m. | €125 NLH Pineapple PKO | |
| 10:30 p.m. | €2/€2 Texas Cash Game Challenge | |
| September 18 | 12:00 p.m. | €550 Main Event Day 1c |
| 1:00 p.m. | €250 Razz | |
| 5:00 p.m. | €350 Mystery Bounty Day 1a | |
| 5:00 p.m. | €1,100 Texas NLH High Roller | |
| 7:00 p.m. | €70 Main Event Satellite (Five €550 Tickets Guaranteed) | |
| 8:00 p.m. | €2/€2 Texas Cash Game Challenge | |
| 9:00 p.m. | €125 PLO4/5/6 | |
| 10:30 p.m. | €2/€2 PLO Cash Game Challenge | |
| September 19 | 12:00 p.m. | €550 Main Event Day 1d |
| 12:30 p.m. | €250 Open Face Chinese | |
| 4:00 p.m. | €125 The Festival Queens | |
| 5:00 p.m. | €350 Mystery Bounty Day 1b | |
| 8:00 p.m. | €2/€2 Texas Cash Game Challenge | |
| 8:00 p.m. | €550 Main Event Day 1e (Turbo) | |
| 9:00 p.m. | €125 BigO | |
| 10:30 p.m. | €2/€2 PLO Cash Game Challenge | |
| September 20 | 12:00 p.m. | €555 Main Event Day 2 |
| 12:30 p.m. | €125 Sportsbook Tournament | |
| 1:00 p.m. | €350 10-Game Mix | |
| 5:00 p.m. | €350 Mystery Bounty Day 1c | |
| 8:00 p.m. | €2/€2 Cash Game Challenge | |
| 8:30 p.m. | €125 Bombpot PLO Madness | |
| 9:00 p.m. | €125 Slots Championship | |
| 10:30 p.m. | €2/€2 PLO Cash Game Challenge | |
| September 21 | 11:00 p.m. | €350 Mystery Bounty Day 1d (Turbo) |
| 12:00 p.m. | €250 Seniors 50+ | |
| 2:00 p.m. | €550 Main Event Day 3 | |
| 3:00 p.m. | €1,100 Open Face Chinese High Roller | |
| 4:30 p.m. | €350 Mystery Bounty Day 2 |
The Festival is so much more than just poker tournaments, though. Franke’s been creative; Blackjack-, Sportsbook-, and Roulette-tournaments have all become standing features in the schedule. Another unique selling point for The Festival is their hospitality packages; all those who secure their Malta visit through the various online qualifiers will be eligible for the hospitality packages that are sure to include joyful activities outside of the Portomaso Casino.
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The event is just a few weeks away, and it will undoubtedly be a highlight of the 2025 live poker calendar, not least for all Mixed Games lovers. The wait for The 2025 Festival Malta is unbearable.
