Other feasts near Mellieħa in May, September and October
Towns close to Mellieħa have their own feasts in the same months.
- Qawra: Feast of St Francis of AssisiSunday, 6 September 2026
2026 dates
Feast of St Joseph
Sunday, 3 May 2026, Mellieħa parish
Feast of The Nativity of Our Lady (Il-Vitorja)
Tuesday, 8 September 2026, Mellieħa parish
Feast of Our Lady of Mellieħa
Sunday, 27 September 2026, Mellieħa parish
Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary
Sunday, 4 October 2026, Mellieħa parish
Eat, drink and shop in Mellieħa
All of MellieħaMore about this page
Mellieħa on Malta has 4 feasts in the 2026 church calendar. Here are the dates, and what to expect.
In date order: St Joseph on Sunday, 3 May 2026 (a smaller, secondary feast); The Nativity of Our Lady (Il-Vitorja) on Tuesday, 8 September 2026; Our Lady of Mellieħa on Sunday, 27 September 2026 (a smaller, secondary feast); Our Lady of the Rosary on Sunday, 4 October 2026 (a smaller, secondary feast).
The biggest one is the feast of The Nativity of Our Lady (Il-Vitorja), run by the Mellieħa parish.
And in 2027?
The 2027 date comes when the Archdiocese publishes it. Most feasts move to a Sunday that suits the parish, so we do not guess.
The Nativity of Our Lady (Il-Vitorja) is always on the same day of the year, so it should be on Wednesday, 8 September 2027.
What is a festa?
A festa is a village party for the saint of the parish church. The church is lit up with thousands of bulbs and the streets are hung with flags and statues.
The days before the feast are full of band marches. On the eve there are often fireworks. On the day itself the statue of the saint is carried through the streets.
Anyone can go. It is free, it goes on late, and there is usually a stall selling nougat and hot snacks. Wear comfortable shoes and expect crowds near the church in Mellieħa.
Good to know before you go
Parking near the church is hard on feast days. Take the bus, or leave the car at the edge of Mellieħa and walk in.
Fireworks are loud, so small children and dogs may not enjoy them. To go inside the church, cover your shoulders and knees.
Times change from year to year. The parish office and the local band club share the full programme a few weeks before the feast.
The Mellieħa festa, up close
Parish church: Knisja Arċipretali ta’ Marija Bambina
The church and the saint
Mellieħa's feast is Marija Bambina, the Nativity of Our Lady, on 8 September. Locals call it Il-Vitorja, since the same day is Victory Day. The parish church is the Knisja Arċipretali ta’ Marija Bambina on Misraħ il-Parroċċa, above the bay.
The Archdiocese records that the church was blessed on 5 September 1897 and consecrated on 18 February 1930, and that Mellieħa is one of ten parishes named in a document of 1436. It was raised to an archpriest's parish on 8 September 2015, the feast day itself.
Before you go
The church stands on the ridge above the bay, and the parish square in front of it is small, so the marches spill down the main road.
Buses from Valletta and from the Ċirkewwa ferry stop in the village centre. Leave the car at the bay and walk up if you drive.
Who blessed it
The Archdiocese names Bishop Pietru Pace as the one who blessed the church in 1897 and Bishop Mawru Caruana as the one who consecrated it in 1930. The smaller feast of Our Lady of Mellieħa at the end of September belongs to the old sanctuary below the parish church, which the village calls Il-Madonna tal-Mellieħa. Għadira, the long sandy bay below the village, is the beach for the day before the evening marches.
Sources: Archdiocese of Malta, Mellieħa parish.
More to do in and around Mellieħa
Towns near Mellieħa with local businesses
More local shops and makers a short trip from Mellieħa, nearest first.
- Qawra1 listed, about 5 km away
Every festa, market and event we know about, sorted by date. See what's on in Malta and Gozo
Dates from the Archdiocese of Malta feasts calendar for 2026, checked on Thursday, 24 September 2026. Parishes sometimes change plans, so check with the parish before you travel.