Żurrieq on Malta has 2 feasts in the 2026 church calendar. Here are the dates, and what to expect.
In date order: Our Lady of Mount Carmel on Sunday, 26 July 2026 (a smaller, secondary feast); St Catherine on Sunday, 6 September 2026.
The biggest one is the feast of St Catherine, run by the Żurrieq 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.
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 Żurrieq.
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 Żurrieq 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 Żurrieq festa, up close
Parish church: Knisja Arċipretali ta’ Santa Katarina Verġni u Martri
The church and the saint
Żurrieq's main feast is St Catherine in early September, with Our Lady of Mount Carmel as a smaller feast in July. The parish church is the Knisja Arċipretali ta’ Santa Katarina Verġni u Martri; the parish office is at 4 Triq il-Karmnu. The parish also looks after the churches of St James and St John the Evangelist in the village and the one at Bubaqra.
Around the church
St Catherine's own day in the church calendar is 25 November, but Żurrieq keeps its festa in early September. Wied iż-Żurrieq, where the boats leave for the Blue Grotto, is a short drive down the hill, and the smaller July feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel belongs to the Carmelite church on the same street as the office. The Archdiocese page gives 79729252 as the parish number.
Before you go
Żurrieq is the last big village before the Blue Grotto, and the bus from Valletta stops in the centre. The square by the church is where the marches end and the statue returns. Come by bus; the village streets are tight.
Around the parish
The Archdiocese lists the parish's other churches in Maltese as the Knisja ta’ San Ġakbu, the Knisja ta’ San Ġwann Evanġelista and the Knisja ta’ Iljun at Bubaqra, and says the office opens Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 4.30 to 6. The village is Iż-Żurrieq in Maltese. The Xarolla windmill and the medieval chapel at Ħal Millieri are both inside the parish, and Filfla islet sits off the cliffs below. Wied Babu, the valley running down to the sea, and the hamlet of Nigret are inside the parish too.