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Valletta Resounds

📍 The Oratory of St John's Co-Cathedral

The Caravaggio Experience

Experience Caravaggio's masterpiece through live music and theatrical storytelling.

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Venue
The Oratory of St John's Co-Cathedral
Duration
45 min
Age
12+
Language
English
Tickets
from €27

The story

The Caravaggio Experience

Held in the iconic Oratory of St John’s Co-Cathedral, the TripAdvisor award-winning Valletta Resounds: The Caravaggio Experience brings together Caravaggio’s masterpiece, The Beheading of St John the Baptist, theatrical storytelling and timeless classical music in a unique site-specific performance in the heart of Valletta.

Critically acclaimed Maltese musicians, under the musical direction of Jacob Portelli, perform works by Baroque masters including Handel and Bach, alongside sacred Maltese music by composer Francesco Azzopardi and more.

Featuring some of Malta’s most esteemed sopranos, the musical programme features Baroque harp, violin, cello and psaltery. Woven through the music are tales of Caravaggio, the Knights of St John and their legacy in Valletta, narrated by the charming and regal character of Fra Bartolomeo. The storytelling explores the world of the Knights of St John, their connection to St John’s Co-Cathedral and Caravaggio’s time in Malta, drawing audiences into the history surrounding Caravaggio and Valletta in the very space where his masterpiece hangs.

The 45-minute narrated concert is preceded by access to St John’s Co-Cathedral, allowing patrons to experience the Co-Cathedral before the performance begins.

Patrons may also opt for the VIP Experience, which includes an exclusive guided tour before the performance and a reserved seat for the performance. Conducted in English by a professional tourist guide, the tour offers the rare opportunity to explore Malta’s most visited historic church away from the daytime crowds before taking in the performance inside the Oratory.

Please note: artists perform on different dates and the programme may be subject to slight changes. The performance and the tour are both in English. Performance times may vary on specific dates. Entry is via the main door on St John Street.

What people say

Reviews

5/5(177 reviews)

4.79/5(568 reviews)

  • “What a setting, so breathtaking and historical to start with. Then the brilliance of the actor portraying a Knight from the 16th century, a multi instrumentalist- cello, harp, organ and a very complicated multi stringed…”

    GetYourGuide · Oct 2026

  • “This was a fabulous experience. The story telling, the music, the setting were all amazing. Highly recommend.”

    GetYourGuide · Oct 2026

  • “Absolutely brilliant. The oratory of St John's cathedral was so ornate and beautiful...but the highlight was the viewing of Caravaggio's "Beheading of John the Baptist". The music 🎵 was wonderful,& the cello, psaltery,…”

    GetYourGuide · Oct 2026

  • “I liked everything, both the tour and the performance.”

    GetYourGuide · Oct 2026

  • “Very interesting and informative. Would recommend.”

    GetYourGuide · Oct 2026

  • “An excellent event in a wonderful setting”

    GetYourGuide · Oct 2026

  • “Incredible! The opera singer, harp playing, storytelling… beyond expectations”

    GetYourGuide · Oct 2026

  • “It was a lovely experience, with 3 talented people, in a beautiful setting.”

    GetYourGuide · Oct 2026

  • “Absolutely fantastic, this show is a true journey through time, history lovers as well as art lovers will be delighted, we dive into Caravaggio's painting, we no longer just look at it, we live it.”

    GetYourGuide · Oct 2026

  • “Am amazing experience. Far surpassed expectations!”

    GetYourGuide · Oct 2026

Review 1 of 10

Tickets

Choose your evening

Compare tickets for The Caravaggio Experience

Performance

€27

per person

With tour

€50

per person

Limited tickets available

17:45*

Professional Guided Tour (45 min)

18:00*

Co-Cathedral Access (30 min)

18:30*

Performance (45 min)

Seating

Standard seating

Front-row reserved seating

€27
€50

* Times shown are for a typical evening. Your exact start time is confirmed when you book.

The VIP Experience

Co-Cathedral Guided Tour

The experience begins with a guided tour of St John’s Co-Cathedral, conducted in English by a professional tourist guide. Taking in the Co-Cathedral’s Baroque interior and the history of the Knights of St John who built it, the tour offers the rare opportunity to explore Malta’s most visited historic church away from the daytime crowds, before audiences take their reserved seats inside the Oratory.

Held in the iconic Oratory of St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta Resounds: The Caravaggio Experience brings together Caravaggio’s masterpiece, The Beheading of St John the Baptist, theatrical storytelling and timeless classical music in a unique site-specific performance in the heart of Valletta.

The guided tour and the 45-minute narrated concert are taken together as a single experience, with seating inside the Oratory reserved for tour guests.

The gilded nave of St John's Co-Cathedral, its vaulted ceiling painted end to end.

The venue

The Oratory of St John's Co-Cathedral

Triq San Ġwann, Il-Belt Valletta VLT 1156

Entry is via the main door on St John Street.

The conventual church of the Knights of St John was completed in 1577, soon after the Great Siege, and dedicated to St John the Baptist. Designed by the Order’s military engineer, Girolamo Cassar, its austere façade reflects the sombre mood of an Order that had recently survived one of the defining sieges in Malta’s history.

Inside, that austerity gives way entirely. Over the centuries, successive Grand Masters and knights enriched the church with works by leading artists of their time, transforming its plain Mannerist interior into one of the most extraordinary Baroque spaces in Europe. The Oratory and sacristy were added in 1604.

Caravaggio in Malta

Caravaggio arrived in Malta in July 1607, having fled Rome under sentence of death after killing a man in a brawl. He was received into the Order as a Knight of Obedience in July 1608 and, during his time on the island, painted The Beheading of St John the Baptist and St Jerome Writing. Both remain in St John’s Co-Cathedral today.

His time as a Knight of St John was short-lived. Within weeks of his investiture, Caravaggio was imprisoned at Fort St Angelo and subsequently escaped from Malta before his trial. On 1 December 1608, in this very Oratory and in front of The Beheading of St John the Baptist, Caravaggio was formally expelled from the Order “like a rotten and fetid limb.”

The painting has never left the room for which it was created. It is the only work Caravaggio ever signed.

Today, this same Oratory is the setting for The Caravaggio Experience, allowing audiences to encounter Caravaggio’s masterpiece through live music and theatrical storytelling in the very room at the heart of his extraordinary story.

Gallery

The Caravaggio Experience

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Before you book

Good to know

Worth two minutes before you book.

  • No high heels are allowed inside the Co-Cathedral.
  • Shoulders must always be covered when entering the Co-Cathedral.
  • Seats marked as reserved for the Co-Cathedral Tour are not available to general admission ticket holders. Anyone found sitting in these reserved seats may be asked to either move or pay the difference in ticket price.
  • The Oratory will be opened at 18:00 for the performance, unless the time of performance is changed for specific dates.
Is there a minimum age?
Yes. The Caravaggio Experience is 12+.
Is the venue wheelchair accessible?
St John's Co-Cathedral is accessible, and the Oratory can be reached without stairs. If access is a concern, call us on 7920 3774 before booking and we'll talk it through.
What happens if I arrive late?
Arrive for the doors and start time shown when you book — these can vary by date.
Is there a dress code?
There are two rules set by the Co-Cathedral, and they are enforced at the door: no high heels anywhere inside, and shoulders must be covered on entry. Both protect the building's 17th-century inlaid marble floor and its status as a working church.
How long does it last?
The Caravaggio Experience runs 45 minutes. Book the Co-Cathedral Guided Tour ticket and allow around an hour and three quarters in total for the guided tour plus the performance. Exact start times are confirmed when you book.
What language is the performance in?
The performance and the Co-Cathedral tour are both in English. Printed programme notes are also available at the venue in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Polish and Spanish.
How do I find the venue?
Entry is via the main door of St John's Co-Cathedral on St John Street. Not the Co-Cathedral's daytime visitor entrance. Valletta is pedestrianised; the nearest parking is the MCP car park or Floriana, both about a ten-minute walk.
Is seating allocated?
The Performance ticket is free seating, so arriving when the Oratory opens (doors time on your ticket) gets you the choice of the room. The Performance + Co-Cathedral Guided Tour (VIP Experience) includes reserved seating for tour guests.

Book The Caravaggio Experience

Direct with the producer.

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