Popular Rabat Christmas market Natalis Notabilis will not be put up this year after organisers struggled to secure funding for the event, its organising committee has said. 

The Christmas village, which would see the narrow old streets of Rabat transformed by twinkling lights and festive decor, was a popular yearly appointment for enthusiasts of the season, with the varied artisan and food stalls drawing large crowds to the locale. 

In a statement, the Natalis Notabilis Committee said that despite their best efforts to secure funding for the market, this had faltered and it was no longer financially feasible to proceed. 

“Natalis Notabilis was created to organise the largest Christmas Village in Malta with a specific set-up and one sole aim to be reached, which is to make a profit to distribute to various charitable entities that conserve and preserve our Maltese heritage,” the committee said.

“The organisation of this event costs us tens of thousands of euros and following the absence of the last two years due to COVID-19, as well as what is happening in Eastern Europe now, we are finding it difficult, almost impossible, to find the financial backup from our usual sponsor partners and from any of the authorities.”

“We were promised funding which never materialised and, therefore, the event is not feasible to organise and eventually make ends meet. We agreed that the burden of the costs cannot go neither on the participants nor on us the volunteers.”

As the lack of funds could not guarantee that they are able to organise the market up to the same standards, the committee had regrettably decided that the event will not be held this year. However, they encouraged anyone who wanted to help or support the event to get in touch for a Christmas village to be set up.

“We are still here, working on new ideas and we promise that when the time comes, it is going to be the best experience ever.”