Malta runs two carnivals in the same week and they have very little in common. One is an official daytime parade in Valletta with floats and prizes.
The other happens after dark in a village in Gozo and is not aimed at children. This year both ran from 13 to 17 February.
When carnival falls
Carnival takes the five days before Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday moves with Easter, so the dates change each year, but they usually land somewhere in February. Malta has held a carnival since the time of the Knights.
Valletta and Floriana
This is the official one. Mechanised floats are built over several months, dance companies perform in costume, and there are competitions and a printed programme. It runs in the daytime and it is built for families.
Valletta closes to traffic for the parade and the roads into it fill up. Come in on the bus or take the ferry across from Sliema, which lands you a short walk from the route. If you are bringing children there is more on Malta with kids.
Nadur in Gozo
Nadur has no floats, no programme and no organisers. People turn up after dark in masks and improvised costumes.
The tone is grotesque and satirical, and the point of it is anonymity rather than display. It is a Gozitan tradition and it is not for children.
If you are going over for it, the last ferry back matters more than the carnival does. Check the timetable before you cross, or plan to stay the night in Gozo.
Do not book one expecting the other
People arrive in Nadur expecting the Valletta event and are taken aback. Valletta is a daytime parade with floats, costumes and prizes.
Nadur is an after-dark tradition with no schedule and a deliberately dark sense of humour. Decide which one you want before you book anything.
Both are covered on the carnival page.
