Village Festas

How to describe a festa? Fiesta, carnival, festival? Well, they’re all of these and none of these, because festas are uniquely Maltese and so they will be unlike anything you’ve ever experienced in other countries.

When you attend a Maltese village festa as a visitor, and you are welcome to do so, you will instantly become an interested, intrigued and possibly baffled observer. We strongly advise you try and get along to one because it is the kind of experience that will provide you with memories that will last you a lifetime.

Though all festas are different in some subtle way from the others, one common denominator that you’re certain to find at all of them is fireworks. And how!

The pyrotechnics at these week-long, non-stop celebrations come in two varieties: there’s the spectacular, aerial, sparkly kind that make you go “Ooh and aaah!” when it’s dark, and then there’s some of the most tedious and loud aerial bombardments you'll ever experience. These happen during the hours of daylight, making you jump out of your skin - just to remind you that it’s festa week!

They're called petards and they serve two purposes - to mark the advent of the Festa and to ward away any evil spirits that might be thinking about spoiling the party. Thankfully, the infernal daytime noise is made up for by the band music, the street decorations and the different colours and traditions that come into play in the evenings and distinguish each festa from its neighbours.

Is this starting to make sense? Well, to confound you further we’ll now tell you that most towns and villages in Malta and Gozo have two parishes, each with its own patron saint, band club and festa. Some towns have more than two! The rivalry is strong. Historically, it could be quite hostile but today it is happily restricted to competition for better decorations, better and louder fireworks and bigger crowds. 


You’ll find special stalls selling the traditional festa nougat, peanuts and candy floss, although more recently they’ve been joined by the hot-dog and burger sellers.

The happy atmosphere is augmented by the young men and women singing and dancing together, while inside the magnificently decorated church the religious aspect of the festa is manifested by very well-rehearsed, well-attended functions.

For locals who want to play a more active part in the festa proceedings, there is always the temptation to have a go at carrying the statue, often so heavy that it needs six to eight men to take it through the village streets. If you’re lucky you may be invited into a villager’s home, from which you can see the procession and the celebrations going on.

A fading tradition that survives in only one village (Kalkara) is the crowning of the statue with an assortment of paper flowers, usually the colour of the local patron. There are organised coach tours to the many festa celebrations that are held in Malta and Gozo during summer. That makes it easier. But if you’d rather drive there, go early to ensure you find a parking place.

There’s no need to tell you to expect to be late going back. You will probably be still celebrating with the locals into the wee hours of the next day. Ask at Tourist Information for details of festas scheduled when you’re on Malta. Or try the web links below. Note that almost all them happen during the summer months and you’ll struggle to find one in the winter.