A festa is the feast day of a village’s patron saint. It is the biggest thing that happens in that village all year. Every parish has one. Between May and September there is almost always one on somewhere, and most weekends there are several.
They are free, they are open to anyone, and nobody will mind you being there. This is the single easiest way to see the country as it is rather than as a resort.
How a festa works
How the week runs
The build-up starts days ahead. Banners and lights go up along the streets, the church front is dressed, and the band clubs begin marching in the evenings.
Saturday night is usually the loudest. Sunday is the day of the main procession, when the statue of the saint is carried through the streets by the parishioners.
What is on this week
Most villages have two band clubs
Most villages have two band clubs and a rivalry between them that is older than anyone alive. They compete over the music, the decorations and above all the fireworks.
The clubs are open through the festa and they are the most welcoming rooms in Malta. Buy a drink, sit down, and somebody will explain the whole thing to you.
The fireworks
Malta makes its own fireworks and takes them extremely seriously. The displays at a village festa are better than the official ones in most countries.
They go off late, often after eleven, and they are loud enough to set off car alarms several streets away. If you are staying nearby, this is worth knowing in advance.
The fireworks festival
Going to one
What to expect
- Cost
- Nothing. There is no ticket and no gate. You walk in.
- What to wear
- Anything, but cover your shoulders and knees if you are going inside the church.
- When to arrive
- The evening is when it happens. Turn up around eight and the streets will already be filling.
- Parking
- Do not drive. The streets close and the ones that do not are full. Take the bus and check the last one back before you go.
- Noise
- The petards during the day are extremely loud and they are set off with no warning. They startle people and they frighten dogs.
- Photographs
- Nobody minds you photographing the street or the fireworks. Be more careful inside the church and during the procession itself, which is a religious act rather than a show.
Festa dates are fixed to saints days, so they move around the calendar and several fall on the same weekend. The calendar lists which parish is celebrating when, confirmed for the current year rather than taken from last year’s listings.