Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546363
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 AUGUST 2026 NEWS CONTINUES FROM PAGE 1 "Resolving this issue is a safe- ty necessity, not just a logistical inconvenience," Farrugia said. There are 89 non-profit fire- works groups across Malta and Gozo, each tied to a village feast, but only 31 have a facto- ry, meaning 67 feasts depend on a limited number of facili- ties to supply their displays. Most festive groups are fac- ing rising material and permit costs, and since the Planning Authority introduced its fire- works factory policy in 2014, only one new factory has been approved. Farrugia said building or up- grading a factory is not straight- forward; any application must be approved by the Fireworks Factory Technical Committee, which requires representatives from the police, civil protec- tion and the armed forces to sign off that all possible risks have been reduced to a mini- mum. "An application can take years," he said. However, Farrugia insisted Gozo should have its own fac- tories to reduce the pressure and risks associated with hav- ing all the island's fireworks needs being serviced in Malta. There is no feast without fireworks' On calls to reduce noise lev- els or introduce silent fire- works, Farrugia drew a firm distinction between sound and noise. There is no such thing as a truly silent firework; even colour-producing aerial fire- works require a burst charge to launch and explode, and both produce sound, he said. "Any combustion, even one's car, produces sound," he noted. "One cannot eliminate sound from the combustion of aerial fireworks." But Farrugia rejected the characterisation of maroons and cracker shells as noise, ar- guing that those unacquainted with the craft hear them differ- ently to those who understand it. "For those who are unread in the art, such sounds are nega- tively described as noise. The informed listener appreciates the character of the different and multiple sound effects," he said. The loud daytime fireworks that mark the Angelus at 8am and noon, and the beginning and end of liturgical celebra- tions, serve a specific function, Farrugia insisted. "They con- nect the external celebration in the streets to what is hap- pening inside the church. Low- noise alternatives exist abroad, but they are not silent, only quieter." Farrugia also took issue with how those involved in the tra- dition are described, saying the term 'enthusiast' is routinely applied to people who are, in fact, licensed and trained. In Malta, a licensed enthusiast, a Licence B holder, must always work under the supervision of a fully qualified pyrotechni- cian—someone who has com- pleted two years of hands-on experience and passed a four- hour written police exam. A fireworks supporter holds no licence at all, and attends displays only as a spectator. "Treating the three as inter- changeable creates a false im- pression of who is doing the work," Farrugia said. 'No tradition is worth a single life' The Maltese festa, inscribed on UNESCO's list of intangible cultural heritage in 2023, has been celebrated for four centu- ries. In 19 weeks of summer, 89 feasts take place across Malta and Gozo, each anchored to a patron saint, and each marked by fireworks. Farrugia said the tradition's recognition extends beyond UNESCO to the courts, claim- ing the European Court of Hu- man Rights has affirmed fire- works as a community right. "There is no feast without fire- works," he said. The Salini factory that ex- ploded on 1 June was report- edly storing fireworks destined for around five separate feasts, including two in Gozo, at the time of the blast. The massive explosion regis- tered 1.9 on the Richter scale, was heard from several kilo- metres away, and resulted in more than 300 damage reports being filed with the police within a 2km radius of the blast site. Around 90 agricultural and livestock farmers were also affected. A magisterial inquiry into the incident led by Magistrate Joe Mifsud is ongoing. Farrugia declined to com- ment on the Salini case, citing the magisterial inquiry. He also refrained from talking about the Birżebbuġa case, in which a court issued an order limiting the locality's festa to smaller fireworks following damage to nearby farmland. Once again, Farrugia cited ongoing pro- ceedings. However, he insisted that all fireworks displays are covered by insurance and licensed py- rotechnicians must abide by strict police permits under the Control of Fireworks and Oth- er Explosives Regulations. On the question of where the line sits between cultural pres- ervation and protecting human life, Farrugia said the two are not in conflict. "The protection of our culture depends entirely on the survival of the people of our nation," he said. Farrugia said the association had spent more than half a decade working to ensure the unique artistry of Maltese py- rotechnics thrives for future generations, and that it had al- ways worked with the relevant authorities on any regulatory updates governing the sector. Safety, he said, remains its "highest and non-negotiable" priority. "No pyrotechnic display and no tradition, no matter how deeply rooted, is worth the loss of a single life." Farrugia: Gozo needs its own fireworks factory for safety and logistical reasons In 19 weeks of summer, 89 feasts are celebrated across Malta and Gozo. Inset: Pyrotechnics association president Godfrey Farrugia 'The double insularity of Gozo and the inadequate berthing facilities offered during transportation prove to be very expensive and a risk factor'