New Year's Eve in Malta is celebrated above all in Valletta: on 31 December 2025, the national New Year's Eve party took place in St George's Square, with concerts planned from 8.45pm to about 2am and a 25-minute fireworks display over the Grand Harbour at midnight. The programme for Thursday 31 December 2026 has not been published yet, as of 22 October 2026. You can also celebrate New Year's Eve at a restaurant, in the clubs of St Julian's or in Gozo.
It's mild, not warm: 14.5 °C on average in December and 11.0 °C at night (1961-1990 average), and the sun sets at 4.58pm on the 31st. Friday 1 January 2027 is a public holiday, and Heritage Malta's museums and sites are closed. Malta is a good choice if you like big open-air parties and quiet days for sightseeing; less so for swimming, with the sea at 18.3 °C on average in December.
- The party: St George's Square, in Valletta, from 8.45pm to about 2am in 2025; 2026 programme not published yet.
- The fireworks: at midnight, over the Grand Harbour; 25 minutes in 2025.
- Paid parties: St Julian's clubs and festive dinners, with a ticket or a booking.
- Getting back: in 2025, extra buses until about 2.30am, free with a personalised Tallinja card, €3 without a card; ferries extended until 1am.
- 1 January: public holiday; Heritage Malta sites closed (on 31 December too).
- The weather: mild by day, cool at night; bring a warm jacket.
- Dinner on the 31st: book early, some restaurants are already advertising it.
The New Year's Eve party in Valletta, on 31 December
The National New Year's Eve Celebrations were held in St George's Square, in the heart of Valletta, in 2024 and again in 2025. For 31 December 2026, neither the programme nor the artists have been published as of 22 October 2026: the visitmalta.com events calendar has no page for this night yet, and the Maltese press has not announced any artist so far. Here is the programme of the 2025 edition, announced by TVM and Newsbook on 30 December 2025:
- 8.45pm: start of the evening, with Glen Vella and his band, the Palace String Orchestra and several Maltese singers.
- Shortly before midnight: concert by international star John Newman, who leads the countdown.
- Midnight: fireworks launched from the Grand Harbour, with sixteen fireworks factories taking part; they lasted 25 minutes, according to Lovin Malta (1 January 2026).
- Until about 2am: DJ Gabii closes the night.
TVM reported an estimated 70,000 people in Valletta that night: in St George's Square, Triton Square, the main streets and at the viewpoints over the Grand Harbour. The evening was organised by the company G7 Events with the Valletta Cultural Agency. In 2024, MaltaToday described it as a “free open-air” celebration. To be near the stage, come early, dress warmly and keep your belongings close to you in the crowd.
Celebrating the 31st elsewhere: Gozo, Bormla, St Julian's and dinner
In Gozo, the Ministry for Gozo had planned the show for 31 December 2025 in Victoria, the island's capital, with Maltese singers and the band Eiffel 65, as part of its “Christmas in Gozo” programme (TVM, 20 November 2025). The 2026 show has not been announced yet, as of 22 October 2026. If you are staying in Malta, check before you go whether there is a Gozo Channel ferry after the party, between Mġarr and Ċirkewwa (a crossing of about 25 minutes).
Across the Grand Harbour, in Bormla (Cospicua), another public concert drew a crowd on 31 December 2025, according to MaltaToday (1 January 2026).
In St Julian's, clubs and bars in Paceville sell their own parties for the 31st, with tickets. In 2025, buses S12, S13 and N13 linked Valletta to St Julian's until about 2.30am, after the fireworks. To choose a club, read our guide where to go out in Malta.
For New Year's Eve dinner, book early: as of 22 October 2026, the visitmalta.com events calendar already lists dinners on 31 December 2026 and a lunch on 1 January 2027. Choose a table in Valletta or near the harbour if you want to see the fireworks after the meal.
Getting back on the night of the 31st: bus, ferry, taxi
Leave the car behind: on the evening of the 31st, Valletta is full. Buses for the night of 31 December 2026 have not been announced yet, as of 22 October 2026 (in 2025, the announcement came on 9 December). For the night of 31 December 2025, Malta Public Transport had added late-night departures on 16 regular routes and 5 night routes, from the Valletta bus terminus: free with a personalised Tallinja card, €3 without a card, in cash or contactless (Malta Public Transport announcement). A few routes:
| Route | Goes to | Departures on the night of 31 December 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| N13 | Msida, Gżira, Sliema, St Julian's | from 11.10pm to 2.25am, every 5 to 10 min |
| S12 | Msida, St Julian's, Pembroke, Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq, Qawra, Buġibba | from 11.45pm to 2.30am, every 15 min |
| S13 | Msida, St Julian's | from 12.05am to 2.35am, every 15 min |
| S10 | Paola, Isla, Bormla, Kalkara | from 11.35pm to 1.50am, about every 30 min |
Valletta Ferry Services ferries were extended until 1am on the night of 31 December 2025, according to TVM (30 December 2025). In winter, the Sliema ferry runs on Sundays and public holidays from 8.45am to 6.30pm, according to the Valletta Ferry Services website (as of 22 October 2026).
The taxi apps Bolt, Uber and eCabs work in Malta and let you book a ride in advance (their websites, as of 22 October 2026): book your ride home before the evening. We found no parking instructions for that night; the bus and the ferry remain the simplest options.
1 January: what's open, what's closed
1 January is a public holiday, set out in the Maltese law on public holidays (Chapter 252); government offices are closed. All Heritage Malta museums and sites are closed on 1 January, as on 24, 25 and 31 December (Heritage Malta opening days, as of 22 October 2026): keep the temples and museums for 30 December or 2 January.
For 1 January 2026, Malta Public Transport had announced that buses would stop from noon to 3pm and from 9pm onwards; the 2027 timetable has not been announced yet, as of 22 October 2026. Plan your journeys for the morning or late afternoon. Some restaurants serve a 1 January lunch: book it like the dinner on the 31st. If you are up early, the sun rises at 7.12am.
What's the weather like for New Year in Malta?
In December, the average temperature is 14.5 °C at Luqa, the Malta Met Office's reference station (1991-2020 average), and 12.9 °C in January; at night, the older average (1961-1990) gives 11.0 °C in December and 9.2 °C in January. December gets 84.8 mm of rain on average, with 4 days of thunderstorms, and a little over 5 hours of sunshine a day. The details are in Malta in December and Malta in January.
A stay from 29 December to 2 January
31 December 2026 falls on a Thursday, 1 January 2027 on a Friday. One way to fill the other days:
- Tuesday 29 or Wednesday 30: Valletta by day and its museums (see things to do in Valletta), or the Three Cities, across the Grand Harbour.
- Thursday 31: a quiet day in Mdina, the old walled city, then dinner and the party in Valletta.
- Friday 1 January: a lie-in, a booked lunch and a walk by the sea.
- Saturday 2 January: Gozo, by ferry (how to get to Gozo) or on one of our day tours; in Qala, the crib exhibition “Qala Enchanted by Cribs” runs until 3 January 2027 (visitmalta.com events calendar). Ideas once you are there: things to do in Gozo.
If you arrive before 25 December, our article Christmas in Malta covers the festive days before.
Our trips around New Year
We don't sell any party for 31 December 2026. For the days around it, here are our days out in Gozo.
Yippee's Gozo day tours run every day, all year round, on the dates offered on the product page: Gozo by quad with a guide, Gozo by buggy with a guide, 4x4 jeep safari with a driver and Gozo by tuk-tuk with a driver. Pick-up depends on where you are staying; the details are given when you book. In winter, if the sea is too rough, the crossing is made by ferry, tickets included, and the return to Marfa is planned for around 5pm.
Gozo Pride Tours offers, all year round and on the dates shown on the product page, a quad day with lunch and a buggy day with a three-course lunch; in bad weather, the trip is moved or cancelled at no cost. All these days out are on our Gozo day trips page.
Not running on these dates: sunset tours, Yippee's boat trips to the Blue Lagoon (mid-April to mid-October), Hornblower's cruises to Comino (resuming on 1 February 2027) and summer boat parties. To get to Gozo on your own, the Gozo Channel ferry crosses every day.
FAQ: New Year's Eve in Malta
Where can you celebrate New Year's Eve in Malta?
In Valletta, in St George's Square, for the public party and the midnight fireworks (2024 and 2025 editions). Otherwise, in the clubs of St Julian's, at a restaurant or in Gozo.
What time are the fireworks on 31 December?
At midnight, over the Grand Harbour; in 2025, they lasted 25 minutes.
Are there buses on the night of 31 December?
Yes in 2025: extra departures on 21 routes until about 2.30am, free with a personalised Tallinja card, €3 without a card. The 2026 service has not been announced yet, as of 22 October 2026.
Do you need to book dinner on 31 December?
Yes, and early: some restaurants are already listing it in the visitmalta.com events calendar, as of 22 October 2026. Finish before midnight if you want to see the fireworks.
What is open on 1 January in Malta?
Not much: it is a public holiday and Heritage Malta's museums and sites are closed. For 1 January 2026, buses were stopped from noon to 3pm and from 9pm; some restaurants serve lunch, if you book.
What is the weather like in Malta at New Year?
Mild by day, cool at night: 14.5 °C on average in December, 11.0 °C at night (1961-1990 average) and 84.8 mm of rain over the month. Bring a jacket and something warm to wear.
Can you celebrate the 31st in Gozo and sleep in Malta?
Yes, if a Gozo Channel ferry crosses after the party: check its timetable between Mġarr and Ċirkewwa before you go. The Victoria programme for 2026 has not been announced yet, as of 22 October 2026.
Is it a good idea to spend New Year in Malta?
Yes for a big open-air party and mild days for sightseeing: TVM reported about 70,000 people in Valletta on 31 December 2025. Less so if you want to swim or are looking for a quiet night.