15 Floats Set to Take Over Buġibba and Marsaskala

For once, here’s a summer crowd we can happily get behind.

Malta’s Summer Carnival is returning this weekend, bringing three evenings of colour, music, dancing and traditional carnival craftsmanship to the streets of Buġibba and Marsaskala.

Il-Karnival tas-Sajf 2026 will take place from Friday 21 to Sunday 23 August, with 15 carnival floats specially adapted for the summer parades, accompanied by a number of dance companies. The event is organised by Festivals Malta together with the St Paul’s Bay and Marsaskala local councils.

Three nights, two localities

• 🎭 Friday 21 August, Buġibba: The parade starts at 7pm from Dawret il-Gżejjer and travels along the promenade towards the Malta National Aquarium.
• 🎭 Saturday 22 August, Buġibba: The second parade starts at 7pm from the Malta National Aquarium and continues along the promenade towards Triq il-Ħalel.
• 🎭 Sunday 23 August, Marsaskala: The carnival moves south, starting from the Żonqor car park near the swimming pool before travelling through Triq iż-Żonqor, towards the Żonqor Battery area, beneath the Parish Church and along Triq ix-Xatt.

A different side of Malta’s summer

Summer in Malta often brings very real pressures on residents, from overcrowding and noise to rubbish, traffic and antisocial behaviour.

But tourism and busy public spaces do not have to mean chaos. Events like the Summer Carnival show another side of the season: organised entertainment built around Maltese culture, local artists and communities.

Behind those huge illuminated floats are months of work by carnival enthusiasts, artists, builders and designers. Dance companies also get another opportunity to perform outside the traditional February Carnival season. It is the type of spectacle tourists can enjoy while actually experiencing something distinctly Maltese.

Carnival under the summer night sky

The atmosphere is also very different from February. Instead of heavy winter costumes and daytime parades in Valletta, the Summer Carnival brings illuminated floats onto seaside promenades after sunset, surrounded by restaurants, cafés, families and people enjoying the summer evening.

Last year’s edition also took place in Buġibba and Marsaskala and included a then-record participation of floats, including three from Gozo. This year, 15 floats are expected to participate.

If you’re going, plan ahead

With large floats travelling through promenades and residential streets, anyone heading to Buġibba or Marsaskala should allow extra time for traffic and parking.

Residents along the routes should also expect temporary disruption while the parades pass through their area.

But if you have never experienced Malta’s Summer Carnival before, this weekend is probably worth putting on the calendar. Colour, music, ridiculous giant characters rolling down the street and some seriously impressive Maltese craftsmanship.

Now that’s a little bit of Malta Gone Wild we can actually celebrate. 🇲🇹🎭