Malta's first-ever Latin American style carnival was celebrated with a parade through St Julian's this weekend. 

According to organisers, around 2,000 people joined the festivities from Paceville to Spinola on Sunday.

One of the event’s organisers was Andrés Correa, a 29-year-old Colombian who has lived in Malta for the past three years and is popularly known as the “singing barber.”

“Malta loves carnival, and so do we. We wanted to share our version of the carnival with the Maltese community and with each other," he told Times of Malta. 

The event was organised by St Julian’s Local Council and the Spinola-based club and events space Tigullio, along with the area's growing Latin American community.  

Correa highlighted the key differences between a Latin American carnival and a Maltese one, particularly in the costumes.

Latin American carnival costumes represent the traditions of the wearer’s region. “For us, carnival is an opportunity to show our roots as a people,” he said. “It is like a sort of theatrical experience. We dance to music from before we were colonised and dress up in the symbols of our home.”

The event began at 11 am and continued until 11 pm, bringing together diverse Latin American communities, including people from Colombia, Venezuela, Mexico, Argentina, Peru and Brazil. Attendees enjoyed an array of traditional dishes from across the region, with food stalls serving tamales, arepas, chicharrón, empanadas, and tres leches cake.

Of course, no carnival celebration is complete without live music. The event featured musicians from Argentina, as well as Colombian DJ Adriana Yepez, keeping the crowd dancing throughout the day.

Despite cultural differences, Correa believes there are many similarities between the Maltese and Latin American communities.

“We may have differences, but we have a lot in common as well. I like to think that, like the Maltese, we are also warm and welcoming,” he said.

He was delighted with the event’s success and hopes it will become an annual celebration. “We wanted to show everyone the Latin vibe and culture, and I think it was a huge success,” he said.

St Julian’s Mayor Guido Dalli was equally pleased with the turnout. Asked whether the event would be held again, he said: “Yes, of course, and next time, it will be even better!”