Beyond its rolling hills, sandy beaches and narrow streets, the isle of Gozo hosts some of the most exciting cultural events of the year. 


Be it winter, spring, summer or autumn, Gozo’s calendar of events is full to the brim with something for everyone to enjoy.

Carnival

If there’s one highlight to the cold and dull first months of the year, Carnival in Gozo is it. Possibly the biggest week-long festivity to hit the Maltese islands, Carnival in Gozo is infamous for its bright colours, outrageous outfits, and perhaps even leaving some of its adolescent participants with a few regrets. While the more traditional and family-friendly aspects of carnival are celebrated in Victoria, the events in Nadur take on a more eclectic and wild atmosphere. 

Summer Festas

The summer months bring on their own set of celebrations in the form of the exceedingly popular festas in Gozo. From May to September the otherwise quiet streets of small villages in Gozo come to life and give you something new and exciting to see any day of the season. While village festas are centred on religious customs, these summertime celebrations are vibrant, musical and boisterous. Festas are mainly comprised of processions, marching bands, street parties and nightly firework displays.

Opera Season 

The most anticipated event following summer is Gozo’s renowned opera season. The Teatru Aurora and Teatru Astra, two historical theatres situated in Victoria, each house a major operatic production in the month of October. Seminal classics starring international opera buffs are put up annually to the delight of many opera enthusiasts on the islands. Previous productions include Otello, La Traviata, Madame Butterfly, and La Boheme, which brought back Maltese and international singing sensation Joseph Calleja to the Gozitan stage.

Christmas Festivities

The year is rounded off with Christmas festivities that are celebrated to the full, with communities joining together to put up pageants, live nativities, Christmas stage shows and crib exhibitions. While these events take place all over the island, the most elaborate and decorated displays can be found in Xagħra, Għajnsielem and Nadur.

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