Malta Carnival

Il-Karnival ta' Malta fills the streets of Valletta and neighbouring Floriana for the days before Ash Wednesday. Festivals Malta, the state body that runs the national programme, lists the 2027 edition for 5 to 9 February in Valletta, Floriana and other locations, ending on the Tuesday before Lent begins.

The organised carnival is competitive. Triumphal floats compete in sections A to D in a league with promotion and relegation, and the companies also compete for dance and costume. Look out for the maskeruni, sets of oversized grotesque masks, and for the smaller exhibited floats known as installations. Marching bands and school groups join the parades, and Visit Malta describes carnival week simply as a time to let your hair down: many revellers carry on in costume into the night at Paceville in St Julian's.

Gozo's other carnival

On Gozo, the village of Nadur holds a very different event, unofficial and largely improvised, where locals dress in home-made disguises that run from the absurd to the macabre. It suits travellers who prefer satire and street theatre to choreographed floats. Gozo ferries from Cirkewwa run all year, so a day trip is easy; see our Gozo ferry guide.

• Watching the parades from the street costs nothing; some programme events are ticketed through Festivals Malta's booking partner.
• February is cool and can be wet or windy, and parades are occasionally called off in bad weather.
• Carnival sweets called prinjolata appear in pastry shops in the weeks before.

Pair the parades with a winter stay in the capital: our Malta in winter guide covers weather and what stays open, and the Holy Week processions follow about six weeks later.