Enjoy Top 10 Famous Events and Festivals in Malta: A Malta Festive Guide UK
Malta is famous for its beautiful Mediterranean beaches and ancient temples. Moreover, with these, this country has something more in its roots and culture; it organises many festivals, including the Carnival Festival, Malta International Fireworks Festival, Malta Jazz Festival, and Valletta Green Festival. All these festivals in Malta are popular all over the world and attract thousands of UK travelers annually.
These festivals offer the Maltese religious vibes, fun, top wines, and different musical experiences. Additionally, you get a chance to know Malta’s roots more deeply. Many UK travelers who have traveled to Malta before advise not to miss any of these festivals.
Therefore, if you are making a plan and want to know the best festivals, timing, location, history, which visa is required, and how to get there easily, this guide has everything about the festivals.
Top 10 Events and Festivals in Malta: Know Everything!
If you are planning a trip to attend famous events, like wine festivals, music festivals, and traditional festivals in Malta, you should know about them completely beforehand so you can enjoy them.
What are the famous annual festivals in Malta?
Malta celebrates a variety of festivals annually, including music, traditions, wine, colors, fireworks, and religion. Here is a list of festivals in Malta.
| Month Name | Festival Name |
| January | Valletta Baroque Festival |
| February | Carnival Festival Feast of St. Paul’s Shipwreck |
| March | Feast of St. JosephHoly week and Easter festival |
| April | Malta International Fireworks Festival |
| May | Valletta Green Festival |
| June | Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul Malta International Wine Festival |
| July | Malta Jazz Festival |
| August | Santa Marija festivals |
| September | Victory Day |
| October | Notte Bianca festival |
| November | Malta International Organ Festival |
| December | Feast of the Immaculate Conception |
Next, below is a detailed explanation of the top festivals in Malta that a UK traveler can join in their holidays.
Carnival Festival
The carnival festival is one of the most famous music and dance festivals in Malta. Maltese celebrate it with Parades and floats. In fact, the participants wear imaginative costumes and masks. Additionally, they do a traditional sword dance ( ll-Parata) and a reenactment of a wedding ceremony ( ll-Qarcilla). Visitors can enjoy the Maltese traditional food like Prinjolata ( a dome-shaped sponge cake), Perlini (sugar-coated almonds), attend workshops, and dance on the streets of Malta during the festival. This is the most popular feast in Malta among UK travelers in February.
Location: Valletta, Floriana, and Nadur, Gozo
Valletta Green Festival
One of the beautiful annual festivals in Malta is celebrated in February. This month, St. George’s Square turns into a magical and alluring garden. The motto of celebrating the festival is to promote the environment and sustainability among the visitors. Almost 18,000 plants of different varieties can be admired here. Furthermore, the organizers run workshops for children to increase awareness among them. So, grab your Malta tourist visa from UK and be part of this beautiful festival.
Location: St. George’s Square
Malta International Fireworks Festival
The Malta International Fireworks Festival is one of the major tourism festivals in Malta, celebrated in April and May. This festival includes a fireworks competition among the various countries. Visitors from the UK can get a glimpse of Maltese culture, local traditions, and Ghana ( traditional music). The specialty of the festival is that the fireworks are choreographed to music and create a stunning display. You can watch an 80-85 international fireworks team here, enjoying the pyrotechnics battle.
Location: Valletta’s Grand Harbour, Three cities ( Bigru, Senglea, & Cospicua), and Nadur, Gozo
Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul
This Maltese festival is also known as L-lmnarja in Malta, which means festival of light. St. Peter was the first Pope in Malta, and St. Paul spread Christianity all over the world. Due to this, the Maltese celebrate their death anniversary as a festival. You can observe the religious vibes, folk traditions, and agricultural celebrations here. Maltese celebrate this day with horse racing, agricultural exhibits, folk music contests, and eating fried rabbit (a traditional dish) and mqaret (date-filled pastries). Hence, this festival is counted among the best cultural events in Malta.
Location: Buskett Gardens (Rabat) & Mdina
Malta International Wine Festival: 5 Days Event
This wine festival in Malta is an annual event celebrated in June for five days at Argotti Gardens in Florina. This festival aims to feature different types of wines from all around the world for the wine lovers. Additionally, they can personally meet the winemakers, learn the wine-making techniques, and enjoy the live music. You can taste some of the best wines, such as Astarte Vermentino, Gran Cavalier Sauvignon Blanc, Blanc de Cheval, and La Valette. Therefore, due to these, this is counted among the best wine festivals in Malta.
Location: Argotti Gardens in Florina, Malta
Malta Jazz Festival
The Malta Jazz Festival is one of the popular festivals in Malta due to its high-quality jazz performances. This is also one of the longest-running music festivals in the country, celebrated annually. Started in 1991 by Charles City Gatt to give a unique identity to music in the country, now become an international attraction for music lovers. It promotes popular international artists and local rising artists and organises jazz music concerts in Malta.
Location: Ta’ Liesse on the Valletta waterfront
Santa Marija Feast
Santa Marija Feast is an August month’s religious and cultural event that is celebrated grandly in the country. Additionally, it is counted among the best cultural events in Malta.
At this time, you can immerse yourself in the Maltese culture through parades, live music, street, and traditional food. Additionally, you will be a witness to traditional sweets like helwa tat-tork, imqaret, and qubbajt.
Location: Mosta, Mqabba, Qrendi, and Rabat
Notte Bianca
If you ever visit Malta in October, you can watch the country transform into an artistic form and cultural activities. This time, you can explore museums and historical palaces late into the night to enjoy street performances, folk music, and Maltese traditional dance. Additionally, you can try local dishes like pastizzi, ftira (Maltese bread), and mqaret (date-filled pastries) at night.
Ultimately, this is one of the popular festivals in Malta to immerse yourself in Malta’s rich heritage and vibrant arts scene under the stars.
Location: Valletta
Christmas Season
Christmas comes in Malta like a season. People wait for this to meet their families and celebrate together. Malta has a mostly Roman Catholic population, so you can experience a lot of religious traditions here, such as Midnight Mass, Priedka tat-Tifel, and Nativity cribs.
In addition, Maltese do some rituals like Growing Glbiena and children’s processions at midnight. If you want to purchase some gifts for your family, you can visit “Fairyland Santa’s City”, a popular destination for the Christmas market and the Ferris wheel.
Location: Ghajnsielem (Gozo)
A Victory Day in Malta: When and Where
Victory Day is a pride day for the Maltese and is celebrated on 8th September annually.
This is the day of Maltese freedom and victory against the French in 1800, the Great Siege in 1565. This is not only a historical day, but also one of the religious and traditional festivals in Malta. Maltese celebrate it with various traditional activities such as a boat race, military parades, a Regatta, and a commemorative ceremony.
Location: Valletta, Grand Harbour, and Rabat, Gozo
Ultimately, these are the seven best Malta festivals to explore for UK travelers. Finally, if you are planning holidays in Malta, then the Malta Jazz Festival and Victory Day in Malta are both upcoming events in Malta. You can book your tickets for these festivals to be a part of Malta’s culture and traditions.
What is the best way to reach Malta from the UK?
If you are planning an easy and fast travel to Malta from UK and are looking for the best transportation, a flight is the only direct way to reach Malta from UK.
Taken Time – 3 h 5 min
Approx Fare – € 295.06 – € 562.11
You can take a flight from different cities in the UK, such as Manchester, Birmingham, and Bristol, according to your preferences for an easy and comfortable traveling.
Consequently, after knowing everything about the festivals and the best transportation, the only requirement is a Malta visa. A Malta short-stay visa for UK residents is the perfect gateway for your country trip. So, don’t wait for the last moment because the festivals are on the way, and due to peak season, it is hard to get an appointment on time. So, apply for a Malta visa at MALTA VISAS UK and secure your express Malta visa appointment from UK.
A Quick Recap
In the final thought, Malta should be your next destination if you are a festival enthusiast, a history and music lover. These festivals in Malta are the soul of the country. Additionally, they are also a mirror of the country’s traditions and history.
Whether you are planning a trip in January or in June, or in the winter, Malta offers you festival activities all year.
Ultimately, if you want to indulge yourself in the Maltese culture, then pack your bags, keep changes, credit cards, apply for a Malta tourist visa from the UK, and get ready to enjoy the main festivals in Malta.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the famous music festival in Malta?
The carnival festival at the end of January and the beginning of February is a famous music festival in Malta.
What are the things to do in Malta for UK travelers?
The things to do in Malta for UK travelers are:
- Scuba diving or hanging out on the beach
- Explore the ancient city of Madina.
- Walking tour of Valletta
- Attending the Victory Day in Malta
- Hiking on the Gozo seaside cliff
- Boat tour at Blue Grotto or Blue Lagoon ocean
- Take a traditional and street food tour
I am from Afghanistan and living in the UK as a resident. Do I need a Malta visa to attend the Malta International Fireworks Festival?
Yes, as an Afghanistan citizen, you need a Malta visa to attend the Malta International Fireworks festival even if you are a UK resident. Malta is part of the Schengen Area, and Afghanistan is not among the countries whose citizens are exempt from visa requirements for short stays within the Schengen zone. And from MALTA VISAS UK, you can apply for an express Malta visa appointment.
