This year’s Carnival in Nadur did not disappoint, with attendees embracing satire and absurdity through costumes ranging from 200kg of stolen cannabis to cardinals preparing for a conclave to Miriana Conte serving kant. 

It even attracted international attention with US rapper and singer Lizzo commenting on a virial video from the once-niche event. 

The spontaneous carnival was clearly Serving Kant, with the most popular costume of the weekend inspired by Miriana Conte’s controversial song of the same name. Revellers dressed in animal prints and wigs, while others took a more literal approach, donning chef and waiter outfits to “serve Kant.”

Malta's polarising entry to May's Eurovision Song Contest was such a central theme that an entire float was dedicated to it in the main square, though it featured a creative reinterpretation of how to spell kant, the Maltese word for singing.

Another standout of the night was a certain €9.90 toast. Multiple attendees dressed as the now-famous snack, while some went even further, setting up chaotic makeshift kitchens with flying pieces of toast. A dedicated float featured a colourful menu with classic Sofrito items such as “millionaire’s toast,” along with a macabre kids’ menu including “Chicken Little,” “CatDog,” and “SpongeBob.”

One of multiple toasts stands at the carnival. Photo:Edward Said

Satirical floats also took aim at current affairs. One celebrated the recent EU recognition of ġbejna tan-nagħaġ as a protected food product while playfully referencing President Roberta Metsola and MEP Alex Agius Saliba. The float featured fake sheep—but real ġbejniet.

The gbejna float featuring a freed Luigi Mangione Photo: Emma Borg

The carnival even attracted international attention. Pop star Lizzo commented on a viral video of a carnival-goer being dramatically pulled away from a group dressed as The Lorax. The comedic clip, set to Tamela Mann’s gospel song Take Me to the King, racked up over 3 million views.

Lizzo’s comment, “What y’all know bout Take Me to the King 😫", left international viewers confused, unfamiliar with Nadur’s unpredictable antics.

Other popular costumes included representations of the 200kg of cannabis stolen from an army base in Ħal Safi, a “freed” US murder suspect Luigi Mangione, an overwhelming number of cardinals, and even Malta Rangers Unit officers inspecting environmental violations. 

The official Malta Rangers account joined in on the fun, thanking the “temporary rangers” for their efforts while joking that Minister Clint Camilleri went into hiding when he saw them.