Birgu businesses welcome the return of Birgufest after last year’s cancellation

After being cancelled last year due to restoration works in Vittoriosa’s main square, Birgufest is officially returning this weekend, much to the relief and excitement of local business owners.

The two-day event, taking place on the 10th and 11th of October, is one of Malta’s most anticipated cultural festivals. Known for transforming the historic city of Birgu into a glowing maze of candlelight, the festival typically attracts tens of thousands of visitors to its narrow streets and squares.

Last year’s cancellation was prompted by safety concerns linked to the two-year renovation project in the city’s main square, which usually serves as the festival’s hub for concerts, food stalls, and community activities. With the works now nearing completed, business owners say they are eager to make up for lost time.

For the Birgu Candlelight Company, the festival’s return has brought an unexpected surge in demand.

“The shop itself has been so busy that everything I prepare for Birgufest is selling out,” the owner tells BusinessNow.mt.

“I’ve been preparing since June, ordering things and making sure everything is here by the time deliveries arrive, as they take a long time to come to Malta. We are expecting more people this year but we’ve also been featured on a TV show in the UK and it’s gone international, so that’s why we are being so busy.”

Meanwhile, Shaun Cricchiola, who runs Il-Ġirbi Bar & Restaurant, said the return of the event is significant for both local business owners and the community at large.

“Birgufest is important to us restaurant owners, and more so as a person from Birgu,” he says. “Every year I wish to see Birgufest getting bigger, to show other Maltese people and foreigners that come where we come from, and I wish to see more cultural things that are forgotten from our past.”

He added that while he hopes for strong attendance, overcrowding can sometimes affect the experience for visitors. “If we have the same amount of people that usually come it would be perfect. If we have more, I don’t think people will keep coming then because sometimes you feel like a pressed sardine with the amount of people that are here.”

Speaking about the preparations behind the scenes, Mr Cricchiola said the festival weekend is one of the busiest periods of the year for his restaurant. “For Saturday I come at 6:00am and by 12:00pm I have to have all the preparations done so during the service I have everything ready and make work a little easier,” he explained.

He emphasised his commitment to serving freshly cooked food, avoiding pre-prepared meals. “Personally I don’t like eating like a buffet or food prepared from before, so I don’t want to offer other people that food. Firstly, I don’t have to worry that people will say that the food has been ready for a week or food poisoning or any other thing that people can think. The things I prepare beforehand are small things that waste time during the service, like chopping and washing up. Other things like cooking, everything is done when the order comes in.”

As anticipation builds, Birgufest’s return is being seen as both a cultural revival and an economic boost for the local community – one that many in Birgu hope will continue to grow sustainably in the years ahead.