MALTA CARNIVAL

Maltese carnival has been celebrated since the 1400s

Carnival is one of the oldest historical festivals in Malta, with just under five centuries of credited and documented history dating back to the Knights’ of St John’s occupancy in Malta. New artistic creations are born while traditions are kept alive and revived, particularly with the revival of satire, a fundamental facet to the historical Maltese Carnival.

The festival, which is organised by Festivals Malta, gels the community together, with a non-discriminatory participation of enthusiasts from different ages and social backgrounds. The Maltese Carnival is one of the world’s most unique carnivals whereby a celebration of artistic floats, dances and elaborate costumes are entwined with the grotesque and satire, making the genre exclusively a ‘Maltese Carnivalesque’.

This one-of-a-kind modern take on the historical festival has provided a platform for artists to showcase their creations. It brings together people from all walks of life. Spreading over five days, the festival is celebrated across the island with the main activities happening in Valletta.

Whilst respecting heritage and traditions, it also pushes forward to revive past rituals, maintaining the philosophy of fun, entertainment and spontaneous merriment – the core of the festival encapsulates a joyful and social gathering while simultaneously adding more innovative approaches to further enrich past and present customs.

Throughout the years, Festivals Malta has striven to improve the quality of carnival installations as well as provide a decent space where these creations can be produced, exhibited and stored. It is through this shift in mindset that a new project entitled The Malta Carnival Experience Project has been thought of, planned out and will soon become a reality. The new project will see to the construction of a Carnival village, which will be enjoyed by all throughout the whole year.