Discover Culture
Marching bands
What they are: Every town has at least one band club, often more, that trains musicians all year for the feast.
Role:
They play festive marches in the streets.
Accompany religious processions.
Host concerts during the week.
Parade atmosphere:
Young and old musicians, flag bearers, and sometimes kids throwing confetti.
Locals follow behind the band in a joyful mini-parade.
Band rivalry: In some towns (like Żabbar or Mosta), there are two or more bands that have healthy — sometimes heated — competition during the festa season.
Fireworks
What they are: A central feature of Maltese feasts — loud, colorful, and incredibly impressive displays of both aerial and ground fireworks.
Types:
Aerial shells: High in the sky with loud booms and colorful bursts.
Ground fireworks ("Nar tal-art"): Giant spinning wheels, intricate shapes, and towers that light up in a show of coordinated motion and fire.
When: Fireworks happen every night during feast week building up to the grand display on feast eve and the feast day itself.
Who makes them: Local fireworks factories run by volunteers. Many towns are proud of their pyrotechnic traditions and even compete for the best display.
Fun fact: Malta has one of the highest densities of fireworks shows in the world during summer