Culture

There are a number of religious festivities that take place in Malta every year.

As practicing Catholics, many Maltese choose to attend feast days that celebrate the many patron saints of the island – including the celebration of St Peter and St Paul in June and Santa Marija in August.

Naturally, though, it is Easter and Christmas that have the most impact. Holy Week, which is the week before Easter, is taken very seriously. Many people choose to do the ‘seven visits’ on Maundy Thursday and pay homage at the Altars of Repose. Good Friday is a very solemn day marked with processions through the streets. Easter Sunday, on the other hand, is a day of celebration. It is usually reserved for family gatherings, where children exchange ‘figolli’ – a typical local pastry made with almonds and decorated with brightly coloured icing.

Christmas is also a family affair. You will notice that streets and homes will begin to be decorated from early December, and several large-scale cribs are set up in and around local villages. The decorations are often very elaborate, especially in Valletta, where all the streets are decked in fairy lights. Christmas Eve is usually marked with Midnight Mass, while Christmas Day itself is celebrated in much the same way it is around Europe – with a family gathering and the exchange of presents. 

Imagine a village-wide party that takes place every weekend throughout the summer… Well, that’s exactly what happens in Malta, where each and every patron saint is celebrated for one week every year!

Malta’s vibrant village feasts, or ‘festas’ as they are known, are held from the end of May until the beginning of October, and each town is given its time to shine. The villagers prepare for the big day all year long – making banners, crafting papier maché statues and – most important of all – planning the fireworks display.

Each festa lasts around three days, with hundreds of people walking through the streets, listening to the band marches and getting into the party atmosphere. Throughout, the local church is beautifully-decorated and open to the public.

Visitors are always welcome to join in, so why not ask our Front Office team which festa will be on next?

Festival living has really taken off in Malta in recent years. These days, a large-scale festival of some sort takes place most months.

Music festivals have become very popular. The most well-known is the Isle of MTV event, which takes place every June. In the past, this one-day event has attracted huge celebrities including the Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, Snoop Dog, Rita Ora and Enrique Iglesias.

Similarly, food and drink are often celebrated in Malta. The calendar includes events such as the Maltese Bread Fair, the Fish Fair, and the Strawberry Fair, each of which highlights a very tasty aspect of life in Malta. Regular wine festivals are also held during the summer months, providing plenty of opportunities for tasting the local fare.

Other arts festivals are also held regularly, including Earth Garden in June, the Sliema Street Art Festival in summer, the Valletta Visual Arts Festival in September and Notte Bianca in October. 

Malta has a thriving arts scene with an eclectic and varied calendar of events throughout the year.

The island’s cultural hub is Valletta, just a short drive away from the Marina Hotel, Malta. Here you’ll find the country’s best-loved theatres, including the Manoel Theatre, which was originally built during the Knights of St John. Various large-scale shows are held here throughout the year, including musicals, concerts and plays – many of which are staged in English.

Other cultural hotspots in the capital include the St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, which is home to an art gallery, small theatre and an art-house cinema. The Mediterranean Conference Centre, meanwhile, is known for its big shows, such as major dance and music performances.

Gozo, just across the water, has garnered quite a reputation as Malta’s opera hub. Two large-scale operas are held in the Astra and Aurora theatres every year, regularly attracting big-name stars and audiences from all over the world.