The Maltese Festa

Every Maltese village has a patron saint and a weekend in summer devoted to them, and the festa is the year's centre of gravity for the community: the church is decked in damask and lit up, the streets are hung with banners and strings of coloured bulbs, statues of the saint are carried through the parish on the shoulders of the men who compete for the honour, and brass bands march and play until late. What visitors remember, though, is the fireworks. Villages run their own volunteer firework factories and the rivalry is intense, so displays are extravagant, deafening and technically ambitious, with set-piece ground fireworks called kaxxa infernali and colour effects developed locally. Larger villages often have two competing band clubs and two feast days, which raises the stakes further.

What you actually see

• The fireworks - village displays built by volunteer factories in fierce competition.
• The illuminated church - facades lit and hung with damask for the feast.
• The statue procession - the saint carried through the streets on shoulders.
• The band marches - brass bands playing through the parish into the night.

When to go

The season runs roughly May to September, with a different village nearly every weekend and the largest feasts in July and August; local listings publish the calendar. Things start late, with the main procession and fireworks after dark, so plan a late night and check how you are getting home.

Honest expectations

It is extremely loud, with fireworks fired close overhead and ground displays at street level, which is unnerving and not suitable for young children or dogs. Villages become impassable and parking is impossible, so use buses and expect crowds. This is a religious feast for the community first, so the church parts deserve respect rather than being treated as spectacle.

Nearby

Feasts happen across both islands, so wherever you are based there is usually one within reach.