Fort St Angelo opens on 8 September at a reduced rate, from 09:00 to 19:00, with last admission at 18:30.
€3 for adults, seniors and students. Children under 11 and Heritage Malta members go free.
Tickets are sold at the door on the day only. There is no advance booking.
The best view of the regatta
The fort looks straight down onto the Grand Harbour Regatta course.
It is the vantage point the crowds on the waterfront do not have, and for €3 it is the cheapest good seat in the harbour.
Racing runs through the afternoon, so arriving before lunch gives you the fort and the rowing in one visit.
What happens at the fort
- Mass in the Chapel of the Nativity of the Virgin, followed by a commemoration at the Great Siege monument.
- A second mass at noon in St Anne’s Chapel, in the upper fort.
- A re-enactment group through the afternoon.
- A bar on site for drinks and snacks.
The chapel has been restored recently and this is one of the days it is open to look at.
Why 8 September
Victory Day marks two things at once.
The Great Siege ended on 8 September 1565, when the Ottoman force gave up after three months. On the same date in 1943, the surrender of Fascist Italy was made public.
It is also the feast of the Nativity of the Virgin, which is why four villages hold their festa that day.
Getting there
The fort is at the end of the Birgu peninsula, about ten minutes on foot from the nearest bus stop.
The harbour ferry from Valletta lands at Cospicua, a short walk away, and is the easiest way in on a day when the roads are busy.
It is a public holiday, so buses run a Sunday timetable.