Christmas in Malta 2026: Markets, Lights and What’s On
Christmas in Malta is a warm, bright month rather than a snowy one. Fairyland turns the Triton Fountain and Il-Fosos into Santa’s City from 4 December, markets, cribs and pantomimes fill the weeks either side, and the season closes with New Year’s Eve in Valletta.
Fairyland, Valletta
4 December 2026 – 3 January 2027
From 20 December
Book the days after Christmas early
Mild, mid-teens
Cooler evenings — bring a jacket
Plan your Christmas in Malta
Four guides cover the whole season — the big attraction, the full December programme, New Year’s Eve and what winter on the islands is actually like.
Fairyland Malta 2026
Dates, opening times, every ride and attraction, Santa’s Grotto, the ice rink and what is free.
Read the Fairyland guide
Malta events in December 2026
Concerts, pantomimes, carol services and markets, with dates, venues and links to each event.
See December events
New Year’s Eve in Malta
Valletta’s celebrations, MFCC parties and where to watch the fireworks on 31 December.
Plan New Year’s Eve
Winter in Malta
What the weather is really like, what stays open and why winter is a good time to visit.
Read the winter guideChristmas markets and cribs
Malta’s Christmas markets are small and local rather than one giant fair. These are the three worth planning a day around.
The Christmas Market at Fairyland
4 December 2026 – 3 January 2027Triton Fountain Square, Valletta & Il-Fosos, Floriana
Stalls at both ends of the site with gifts, handmade crafts and stocking fillers, plus a food court for warm drinks and snacks. Free to walk through — you only pay for the rides.
Fairyland guide
Maltese Nativity Crib Exhibition
From 15 December 2026Valletta Waterfront
Malta’s crib-building tradition is the heart of a Maltese Christmas. This exhibition at the Waterfront shows the elaborate, sometimes mechanical cribs built by local enthusiasts.
Event details
Malta Artisan Markets Christmas Edition
20 December 2026Naxxar
A one-day Christmas edition of the island’s artisan market — local makers, food stalls and last-minute gifts outside the capital.
Event detailsPantomimes, carols and New Year’s Eve
See all Malta events
In theatres across both islands
Fairyland is only part of a Maltese Christmas. The pantomime is the other family tradition — a loud, song-and-joke retelling of a fairy tale, usually with a woman playing the hero and a man in a frock. Add carol services, choir concerts and the village nativity on Gozo, and December fills up fast.
Pantomimes
Malta’s Christmas pantomimes run from mid-December into the new year — some in Maltese, some in English, all built for families. The days between Christmas and New Year sell out first.
Carols and concerts
Big arena concerts, choir festivals and candlelit carol services fill December. Carol services in churches are usually free; the arena shows are ticketed.
- Christmas It's Time at Teatru Astra28 NovTeatru Astra, Rabat, Gozo
- Christmas Et Al1 DecIl-Ħaġar Gozo Museum, Victoria, Gozo
- The Malta International Christmas Choir Festival4 DecMedina, Malta
- Carols By Candlelight4 DecKunvent Santu Wistin, Victoria, Gozo
- Mariah Carey’s Christmas Time Live in Malta8 DecMFCC, Ta' Qali
- MYO Christmas Concert11 DecMdina
Gozo and the nativity villages
Gozo does Christmas differently — live nativity villages, village-square events and processions. Allow a full day if you are crossing on the ferry.
- Christmas In The Square5 DecSannat Square, Ta' Sannat, Gozo
- Santa’s Factory and The Glowing Alley11 DecGozo
- Santa’s Workshop12 DecTa’ Dbieġi Crafts Village, Gozo
- Festa Santa Luċija13 DecTa' Kerċem, Gozo
- Gozo Christmas Parade19 DecVictoria, Gozo
- Betlehem f’Għajnsielem20 DecTa’ Passi Fields, Għajnsielem, Gozo
New Year’s Eve
Valletta’s street celebrations and the MFCC party are the two big nights on 31 December, with fireworks over the harbours.
Full guideNew Year’s Eve in Malta 2026/27The free national celebration in Valletta, Gozo’s countdown in Victoria, the fireworks and the ticketed parties.Practical notes for December
Getting to Valletta
Every bus route into the capital ends at the Valletta terminus, right beside the Triton Fountain and the Fairyland site. Ferries arrive from Sliema and the Three Cities, and the multi-storey car parks at Floriana and Valletta are a short walk away.
Best time to go
Weekday mornings are quietest for the market and Santa’s Grotto. Evenings are the time for the lights, the food court and the Ferris wheel, and weekends in December are the busiest.
What to wear
December days are mild by northern European standards, usually in the mid-teens, but the evenings are cool and the harbours are exposed to wind. Bring a jacket and comfortable shoes — you will be walking on stone.
What to book ahead
The rides, the ice rink, Santa’s Grotto and Curious Cove are ticketed per attraction, and pantomime tickets go quickly for the Christmas week. Booking ahead avoids queuing and disappointment.
Christmas in Malta: frequently asked questions
Keep planning
Valletta area guide
What to see around the Triton Fountain and the city gates.
Malta events this week
Everything happening on the islands right now.
One day in Malta
A cruise-day itinerary that fits Fairyland in neatly.
Dates for Fairyland are checked against the official Fairyland Malta website. Market and event dates are taken from the organisers’ listings and can change — check the linked event page before travelling.