A Royal Talkies encore

Many are those who know the Aurora as an opera house and rightly so. But Aurora (1976) carries the name and the legacy of a former Aurora (1963), the outright foremost cinema on the island. The first Aurora itself carried the torch of a former Royal Talkies, the first ever talkies in Gozo, opened on 5th January 1931. It ran silent movies shows every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday for 4 years, until ‘Two Hearts in Waltztime’ became the first ever talking movie screened on the island in January 1935.

To the Aurora are credited the glorious days of cinema in Gozo in its golden age. Quite naturally, however, the death of cinema within the Aurora, in 1997, marked a natural transition and evolution as cinema technology became more advanced and sophisticated and moved into specific cinema theatres. Yet, the Aurora with two pairs of fully functioning projectors stands as a temple and sanctuary of cinema heritage on the island. Aurora Resounds will celebrate all of this, with an extraordinary display of cinema machinery, memorabilia, archived footage and interviews, and above all, sumptuous musical masterpieces that made the greatest blockbusters so memorable.

AURORA: A STORY TO BE RETOLD

Hence, Aurora Resounds appeals to all those who love cinema and cinema music. But it will also be a trip down memory lane for those who can reminisce the golden days of the seventies when the Aurora was being built as the largest community project on the island. The evening will come with lots of music but also with a powerful narrative of which so many can share. To this end, the Aurora administration is calling on all those, locals and foreigners, who have a story to share about the Aurora, to establish contact and contribute to an extraordinary collection of stories being compiled about the place, its people and its guests. Stories are welcomed in writing on teatruaurora@leone.org.mt or by appointment on +356 79045779.

Aurora Resounds is the opening event of the 2026-2027 50th anniversary special season celebrating the 50 years of Aurora (1976) and opera in Gozo (1977). It is organised by the Leone Philharmonic Society and Teatru tal-Opra Aurora, supported by the Cultural Heritage Directorate within the Ministry for Gozo and Planning. Entrance is free of charge. Reservations are strongly recommended. The concert starts at 2000hrs. Other events in the season, for which tickets are already out on sale include the opera La Traviata, on 17th October 2026. Tickets available from +356 79045779 or www.teatruaurora.com, or teatruaurora@leone.org.mt.