Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546170
4 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 14 AUGUST 2026 NEWS CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 The official events listing de- scribes the Victoria feast as a celebration bringing together faith, culture and community, with traditions passed down through generations. Victoria set for two days of festa celebrations The celebrations will begin building momentum on 14 August, with a packed pro- gramme of religious events, band marches and festivities across Victoria. The traditional Santa Mari- ja agricultural show will open at 10am at Villa Rundle, while a children's parade will take place later in the morning. In the evening, Cardinal Mario Grech will lead the translation of the relic of Our Lady from the Church of the Adoration of Savina to the Ca- thedral, followed by a Pontifi- cal Solemn Celebration. The evening will culminate in a grand triumphal march at 9pm featuring the Leone Phil- harmonic Society and St Se- bastian Band of Qormi. Thou- sands of revellers are expected to join the celebrations as the march makes its way along Re- public Street, accompanied by fireworks and festive chants before concluding in Savina Square shortly after midnight. On Saturday, the agricultural show will reopen early in the morning, while a Solemn Pon- tifical Mass will be celebrated at the Gozo Cathedral at 9am by Bishop Anton Teuma. A traditional band march through Victoria's histor- ic centre will follow at 11am, with the 12th May and De Ro- han bands from Żebbuġ taking part. For many, however, the ap- peal of Santa Marija in Victo- ria lies as much in the setting as in the celebrations them- selves. The Cittadella's walls and narrow streets provide a very different backdrop to the large open village squares where many Maltese festas are held. Once illuminated and filled with people, the historic for- tress becomes the centre of a celebration that blends Gozo's religious traditions with its ar- chitectural heritage. A procession through the streets of Rabat One of the highlights of San- ta Marija in Victoria is the tra- ditional procession, when the statue of Our Lady is carried shoulder-high through the streets of Rabat on 15 August. The procession is led by the Bishop of Gozo, with residents and visitors gathering along the streets for the religious celebration. The main celebrations will take place on Saturday, with the feast attracting people from across Gozo and Malta. VisitMalta lists the Victoria celebration among the island's events for 15 August. A busy weekend for Gozo The Santa Marija weekend is also expected to be a par- ticularly busy one for anyone travelling between Malta and Gozo. Visitors heading to Victoria for the celebrations can ex- pect heavier traffic and larger crowds than usual, particular- ly as the evening festivities get underway. For those making the trip specifically for the festa, arriv- ing earlier in the day can make it easier to find parking and move around Victoria before the streets become crowded. Santa Marija also marks one of the major peaks of Gozo's summer festa season, with Victoria's celebration taking place shortly after the island's other summer patronal feasts. And while the fireworks and street celebrations provide the spectacle, at its centre San- ta Marija remains a religious feast dedicated to the As- sumption of the Virgin Mary. For one day, the Cittadella and the streets of Victoria take on a different character, of- fering a reminder that Gozo's festas are not simply summer entertainment, but traditions that continue to bring com- munities together year after year. Santa Marija weekend expected to be busy for anyone travelling between Malta and Gozo Where else is Santa Marija celebrated? The localities celebrating Santa Marija on 15 August are: • Birkirkara • Gudja • Attard • Għaxaq • Mosta • Mqabba • Qrendi • Victoria In Dingli, Mġarr and Żebbuġ in Gozo, the feast of Santa Marija will instead be celebrated on 23 August. This historical photo captures the Santa Marija procession descending It-Telgha tal-Belt on 15 August 1956. At the heart of the scene is the revered statue of Santa Marija, carried by several individuals through a decorated street. The crowd includes men, women, and children dressed in formal and traditional attire, reflecting the solemnity and celebration of the occasion. The statue itself was crafted in Rome in 1897 at the Fabbrica di Statue Religiose of Francesco Rosa, adding artistic and devotional significance to the event (Photo: John Meilak/ gozoalbum.gov.mt)