The annual Birgufest event will be held again this weekend, where among the activities, the highlight will once again be the Saturday event, ‘Birgu by Candlelight’, where the streets, alleys and steps of Birgu will be lit with candles.
The event will take place over two days, between Friday 10th October and Saturday 11th October, culminating on Saturday evening. Details of Birgufest 2025 were announced by the Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government, Alison Zerafa Civelli, the Mayor of Birgu, John Boxall, Councillors and the Director for Strategy and Implementation for Local Government, Marisa Pisani.
The Friday evening event will consist of a concert by Stream, The Alchemists and Xarulu. The culmination of this event will then be reached on Saturday evening when around 20,000 candles will be lit in the heart of this historic city. But apart from this, all the churches, Fort St. Angelo and the Inquisitor’s Palace will be opened.
Parliamentary Secretary Alison Zerafa Civelli said that this activity has become one that many Maltese people look forward to, as this activity offers various different innovations every year. “Through this activity, the beauty and unique features of Vittoriosa City are being exposed. The Vittoriosa Local Council, through this activity, is continuing to expose the beauty of this city full of rich history. You could say that almost every week a different activity is being held by the Local Councils across Malta and Gozo throughout the year. These activities, which are being held thanks to the financial assistance of the Local Government Division, are always increasing in popularity and quality,” said Zerafa Civelli.
The Parliamentary Secretary concluded by saying that this activity is another important link in a series of activities that take place in Cottonera. She reiterated that through funding issued from the Local Government Division’s schemes, these activities are being able to continue to take place year after year.
The Mayor of Birgu, John Boxall said how this event, particularly the one on Saturday evening, has entered the annual cultural calendar. He explained how the event has become sought after by thousands of people, because through it the identity of Birgu emerges more openly. He said how this year, the regenerated Birgu Square will continue to complement this activity, as a number of activities will be held in this square.
“As a Local Council we attach great importance to this activity because through it we are raising the name of Vittoriosa and it is also serving as a showcase of everything that this city of Vittoriosa has to offer. The Local Council also took care to distribute candles to residents so that we can continue to encourage the people of Vittoriosa to participate. I encourage people to attend this wonderful activity,” said Mayor John Boxall while thanking the Division and the Parliamentary Secretariat for Local Government for their help and support in organising this activity, as well as a number of other activities throughout the year.
Meanwhile, for this event, both Friday and Saturday evening the Ferry service between Cottonera and Valletta will be extended until 02:00am, while the Line service from Vittoriosa will also be extended until 02:00am.
Photos: MCLG_PS
