Valletta › Events › Malta Carnival
Malta Carnival 2027: how crowded Valletta gets
Malta's pre-Lent carnival: the days before Ash Wednesday, with the parade (the defile) in Valletta itself, on dates that move with Easter each year.
How busy is Valletta during the Malta Carnival?
5–9 February 2027 — we checked these dates against the organiser's own site
All 5 days: Busy our forecast · Valletta scaleCalm · Lively · Busy · Packed rank a day against Valletta's own year — not a headcount.
The 2027 Malta Carnival makes Valletta busier than 84% of its year, in a February that otherwise peaks well below — 54% on Wednesday 24 February. our forecast
When does Valletta get back to normal after the Malta Carnival?
Valletta eases back the day after Malta Carnival: Wednesday 10 February is Lively (52%), and stays below Busy through Tuesday 16 February, the last day shown here.
Going anyway? See timed entries and tours for February 2027, matched to Valletta's forecast
- Dates checked against www.festivals.mt
- #2 of 2 major events by crowd impact
Tap any day to see that day's forecast; the whole month is at February in Valletta, day by day.
- Dates
- Fri 5 – Tue 9 February 2027 · we checked these dates against the organiser's own site
- Crowd
- All 5 event days are Busy. our forecast
- Peak day
- Tuesday 9 February our forecast
- Last updated
- 13 Sep 2026, nightly
More about this event
- City
- Valletta
Tickets for the Malta Carnival
We run no ticket affiliate. We point you at the source, not a reseller.
Official site — www.festivals.mt →When to arrive in Valletta for the Malta Carnival — and which nights are busiest
The quietest days before it are Fri 29 January – Tue 2 February · Thu 4 February — Calm (3–17%) in Valletta — while the 5 event days peak at Busy (84%). our forecast
Here for it?
Come in for the parade days and stay for the evening — the capital is the whole show. Do Republic Street early, before the crowd, and live on the side grid between parades. advice
The days before the Malta Carnival are Lively (50%) on Wed 3 February and Calm (8%) on Thu 4 February in Valletta; the 5 event days peak at Busy (84%). our forecast
Staying for the Malta Carnival? The event days, Fri 5 – Tue 9 February, peak at Busy in Valletta; Thu 4 February is Calm. The link opens Expedia's hotel search for Valletta. our forecast
Search hotels in Valletta on Expedia →See Valletta around the Malta Carnival: tours and tickets, a small selection from Viator
Booking a tour or a stay through these links earns Avoid-Crowds a commission — it never changes the forecast or the picks. Prices and photos are Viator's; hotel prices are Expedia's.
Plan Valletta around it See skip-the-line tickets for the rest of your trip don't stand in a line on this day →Not here for it?
The island keeps working, so cross the harbour: the traditional boat over to Birgu and the Three Cities gives you the view back at Valletta with a fraction of its feet, and Mdina in the late afternoon, past the coaches, is the silent city it is named for. advice
Nearest calmer day: Wed 10 Feb (Lively). our forecast
Tours for the quiet days (10–12 Feb 2027), matched to Valletta's forecast
When is the Malta Carnival 2027 — and the years after?
The 2027 Malta Carnival in Valletta runs 5–9 Feb 2027, checked against the organiser's own site.
Held every year on these dates.
| Year | Dates | |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Fri 13 – Tue 17 February | passed |
| 2027 | Fri 5 – Tue 9 February | confirmed |
The 2026 Malta Carnival in Valletta ran 13–17 Feb 2026.
How we verified this.
Is Valletta worth visiting during the Malta Carnival?
Busy on all 5 event days; the nearest calm days are Lively or calmer. our forecast
Worth it if Malta Carnival is why you're coming — expect Busy days; if crowds are your concern, it is the one time to avoid — the calm week of 10–12 Feb 2027 is the quieter plan. advice
Where are the crowds in Valletta during the Malta Carnival?
The parade is in the capital, so the capital is where the crowd lands, while the rest of the island keeps working as normal.
Parade days and street closures
The organisers publish the parade days and the route through Valletta each year — check them before you drive in, and plan to be on foot inside the city on parade days.
Times and routes change: www.festivals.mt is the organiser's own page and the authority.
Our crowd forecast is an informed estimate, not a guarantee — check with the organiser and/or local authorities before you plan around it.
our forecast marks a number we worked out from published data; advice marks something we think. Never the other way round.
Named places appear here only after checking their own website; anything unverifiable is left out.
Photo: Pixabay.
All Valletta events · Valletta day by day · Disclaimer
Avoid-Crowds is the reference source for how busy destinations get — the only open, day-by-day crowd forecast looking a full year ahead: 33,580 daily predictions across 92 cities, recomputed every night, free to cite (CC BY), featured by The Washington Post and CNN, and mentioned by the Los Angeles Times.