As the last rows of sequins get sown into costumes and trays of prinjolata await consumption, Malta gears up for its annual carnival celebrations. 

With vibrant colours, provocative costumes and ample revelry expected to take over various parts of the island in the coming days, there is no shortage of events ready to welcome those eager to celebrate carnival traditions. 

While a traditional parade and kukkanja have already dazzled enthusiasts in Ħamrun, Żurrieq will also be holding its own carnival celebration for the first time ever, with installations, masks and dancers expected to take to the streets of the locality on Thursday evening. 

Announcing the launch of the Żurrieq carnival on Tuesday, Culture Minister Owen Bonnici said it is vital to sustain the Maltese carnival as an intangible but living heritage and that this can be achieved by encouraging more localities to host their own carnival celebrations. 

“Carnival is a heritage left to us by the knights that is just as valuable as the palaces and fortifications that we are so proud of,” Bonnici said. 

“The fact that we have this expression of artistic talent that is almost 500 years old and continues to be inherited by new generations and attracts enthusiasm and energy from people of all ages is a testament to a legacy that has thrived and remained contemporary.” 

The minister announced that carnival celebrations will be held in Żurrieq and Marsa on Thursday, February 8, from 6 pm onward, while various carnival activities will also be held in Mosta on Friday, February 9. 

Photo: Jonathan Borg

The country’s main events will kick off on Friday evening, with King Carnival leading a parade down Republic Street in Valletta down to St George’s Square at 6 pm.

On Saturday the children's carnival at St George's Square will begin at 9.30am and also feature a parade of floats along Republic Street.  The afternoon programme featuring competitive dances and floats will start at 4pm. 

A morning programme will resume on Sunday at 10 am. 

Another carnival parade will take to the streets of Valletta starting on Monday morning and going on into the evening, culminating in a grand finale on Tuesday, February 13, down St Anne’s Street in Floriana. 

On Sunday, a traditional Qarċilla performance, which will be ongoing throughout the week at Spazju Kreattiv, will be performed for free on Ordnance Street (next to Pjazza Teatru Rjal) at 3 pm, 4 pm, 5 pm and 6 pm.

For fans of the more provocative ‘spontaneous’ carnival, the highly anticipated celebrations in Nadur are expected to pop up after the sun sets every day from Friday until Tuesday. 

A similarly daring, if not slightly spooky 'spontaneous' carnival is also expected to pop up in Għaxaq’s village square throughout carnival weekend, where those with a talent for tongue-in-cheek costume-making can be found showing off their creations. 

In Gozo, the main carnival festivities will take place in Victori between Friday and Tuesday, with the main parade expected to march from Republic Street up to it-Tokk on Sunday. 

Regional festivities will be held in Għarb and Nadur today, in Munxar on Thursday, Qala on Friday, Għajnsielem and Xagħra on Saturday and Xewkija, Xagħra, Żebbuġ, San Lawrenz and Sannat on Sunday.