More than 47,000 people crossed over to Gozo for the carnival weekend last week, according to figures provided by the Gozo ministry.

Between Wednesday and Sunday, Gozo Channel boats ferried almost 15,700 vehicles and almost 42,500 passengers from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr.

The four ferries crossed the channel more than 500 times that weekend. Gozo’s main attraction over the weekend was the annual spontaneous carnival in Nadur.

Between Thursday and Sunday, another 4,800 passengers took the fast ferry from Valletta’s Grand Harbour to Gozo.

A group dressed up as elderly women playing their pensions away at bingo. Photo: Nadur Local Council/Facebook

The busiest day for Gozo Channel was Sunday, when it carried almost 5,000 vehicles and more than 14,000 passengers from Gozo back to Malta.

The channel this year was roughly equally busy as in previous years, although slightly fewer passengers crossed over to Gozo this year, compared to last year, when almost 48,000 passengers went to Gozo via Ċirkewwa alone.

Thousands of people paraded around the main square of Nadur and the streets surrounding the church dressed in all sorts of costumes, from cereal bowls to skiers, gorillas and government workers.

People dressed as Buddhist monks at this year's Nadur carnival.

A group of people dressed up as Buddhist monks, another group took out a piano in the street and another dressed up as elderly ladies playing their pension away at bingo.

Even mega-developer Joseph Portelli – who hails from Nadur – showed up dressed as a chef.

Even mega developer Joseph Portelli – who hails from Nadur – showed up dressed as a chef. Photo: Nadur Local Council/Facebook

But one of the highlights was a drove of pigs led by a person dressed up as Rosianne Cutajar holding a placard reading “Kulħadd Jitħanżer” (everybody pigs out).

Cutajar had texted that phrase to her friend, Yorgen Fenech back in 2019, as she complained about being left out of cabinet.

Elsewhere in Nadur, other revellers took aim at Benna’s hike in milk prices with a carnival float lampooning the company while others danced around a makeshift ambulance while holding a placard calling for the authorities to “legalajs kokajn” (sic) (‘Legalise cocaine’).