Practical

Malta Public Holidays and Village Festas

Malta's 14 public holidays, the village festa calendar, and how they affect what's open during your visit.

Updated 2026-06-13 · 4 min read · ImaginaMalta Editorial

Malta has 14 public holidays a year — among the most in the EU, comprising five national commemorative days and nine religious or civic holidays. Banks, government offices, schools and many shops close; public transport runs reduced timetables. Restaurants, tourist sites and hotels generally remain open.

Five national holidays

  • Freedom Day — 31 March (Jum il-Ħelsien; marks the British military withdrawal, 1979)
  • Sette Giugno — 7 June (commemorates the 1919 bread riots and calls for self-governance)
  • Victory Day — 8 September (Il-Vitorja; marks the end of the 1565 Great Siege and the 1942 Convoy)
  • Independence Day — 21 September (independence from Britain, 1964)
  • Republic Day — 13 December (Malta became a republic, 1974)

Religious and civic public holidays

  • New Year's Day — 1 January
  • Feast of St Paul's Shipwreck — 10 February
  • Feast of St Joseph — 19 March
  • Good Friday — date varies with Easter (typically March or April; check timeanddate.com or gov.mt for the current year)
  • Worker's Day / May Day — 1 May
  • Feast of Sts Peter and Paul (L-Imnarja) — 29 June
  • Feast of the Assumption (Santa Marija) — 15 August
  • Feast of the Immaculate Conception — 8 December
  • Christmas Day — 25 December

Good to know

Since 2020, when a public holiday falls on a weekend, employees are entitled to an additional day's leave on a working day. Most public holiday dates are fixed; Good Friday moves with Easter. Village festas (summer weekends, with fireworks, band marches and church celebrations) are not public holidays but heavily affect local traffic and parking in the relevant village.

Quick Facts
Total public holidays
14 per year
National commemorative days
5 (31 Mar, 7 Jun, 8 Sep, 21 Sep, 13 Dec)
Variable date holiday
Good Friday (moves with Easter)

Frequently Asked Questions

How many public holidays does Malta have?

Malta has 14 public holidays per year — five national commemorative days and nine religious or civic holidays.

Does everything close on public holidays in Malta?

Banks, government offices, schools and many shops close. Restaurants, tourist sites and most hospitality businesses remain open. Transport runs on reduced timetables.

Which Maltese public holidays change date each year?

Good Friday is the only variable date — it moves with Easter, typically falling in March or April. All other public holidays are on fixed calendar dates.