The many Carnivals of Gozo
Malta and Gozo’s tailors, dancers, and float builders have been working nonstop to get ready for the Carnival, one of the most eagerly awaited events of the year! The kaleidoscopic event in Valletta’s streets is the default Maltese Carnival in a lot of people’s minds. While one can understand why, Carnival is celebrated all across the sister island of Gozo, particularly at the Independence Square, Victoria, and Nadur Square!
Carnival has been celebrated in Malta since the 16th century, the era of the Knights of St. John. The festival began in Valletta and quickly spread across the islands, but it really took off in Gozo especially. Between the colourful costumes and the magical floats, Carnival brings out the true character and humour of Gozitans! The main Gozo parade travels down Victoria’s main street and concludes in Independence Square, where dances and shows are put on by various carnival companies.
The Nadur Spontaneous Carnival is a standout amongst these. At dusk, a plethora of Gozitans put their hoods up and their masks on as they take over Nadur’s streets! The event is quintessential for a real and authentic Gozo Carnival experience. This carnival used to be known as the ‘Silent Carnival’ since Gozo was so small that people could recognise each other by their voices alone. As a result, the Gozitans used to be quiet during the carnival in order to conceal their identity. The Carnival has evolved to being defined by a lack of rules, chaos, and obscure (whether it’s in a funny or disturbing way) costumes.
While Carnival technically takes place from February 9 to 13 this year, some other towns throw theirs earlier. The Għarb and Nadur Carnivals fall on February 4, while the Munxar Carnival lands on February 8. Then, the Qala Carnival takes place on February 9, followed by Għajnsielem and Xagħra on February 10. Lastly, Xewkija, Xagħra, Żebbuġ, San Lawrenz, and Sannat have their Carnivals on February 11.
A thorough and detailed programme of events for this year’s Gozo Carnival can be found here.
