Rain or not, Malta dines out: How bars and restaurants fared on New Year’s Eve

Despite heavy rain on New Year’s Eve, restaurants and bars across Malta reported a mixed trading night, with some seeing late cancellations while others said pre-bookings and deposits helped keep tables filled.

The wet weather on Wednesday, 31st December, raised concerns among operators ahead of what is typically one of the busiest nights of the year for the hospitality sector.

Several bar and restaurant owners told BusinessNow.mt that they experienced a noticeable slowdown in walk-ins as the rain intensified during the evening, particularly in outdoor-heavy locations and seaside areas.

A number of establishments said they received last-minute cancellations, often from customers who had planned to move between venues or dine later in the evening. In some cases, bookings were postponed rather than cancelled outright, with diners opting to stay cozy indoors.  

However, other operators said the impact was cushioned by advance bookings and the widespread use of deposits for New Year’s Eve reservations. Restaurant owners noted that deposits encouraged customers to honour their bookings despite the weather, as forfeiting the payment would have meant losing part or all of the reservation fee. As a result, many venues reported strong attendance during the evening.

Bars located in more sheltered or indoor-focused venues said they were less affected by the rain, with crowds arriving later in the night once conditions eased slightly. Some operators added that New Year’s Eve tends to be less reliant on spontaneous foot traffic and more driven by pre-arranged plans, making it more resilient to poor weather than other peak nights.

The rain did little to dampen public celebrations in Valletta, where around 70,000 people attended the New Year’s countdown festivities, according to official figures. This turnout reassured some nearby businesses, particularly those operating in or around the capital, that demand remained strong despite the challenging conditions.

Overall, operators described New Year’s Eve 2025 as “uneven but acceptable,” noting that while the rain disrupted some plans, advance planning and deposits played a key role in stabilising revenues on one of the sector’s most important nights of the year.