Maltese festa now on UNESCO’s world heritage list

Maltese festa enthusiasts can now claim the village feasts they labour for every year are a world heritage and require preservation after UNESCO approved Malta’s bid.

The decision was taken by the UN body during its annual meeting in Botswana.

The bid had already received positive reviews from a technical committee that recommended the traditional festa be inscribed on the list of intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The recommendation had also commended Malta for an excellent video which displayed broad consent from the communities concerned. The committee had also complemented Malta for “safeguarding measures that demonstrate inclusion of people with disabilities”.

🎉 Big news for Malta's cultural scene! 🇲🇹

The Maltese Festa is now officially recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by @UNESCO.

Kudos to the incredible volunteers who bring festas to life across the islands! 👏#MaltaCulture #UNESCOHeritage pic.twitter.com/3LGwgaejUG

— •Owen Bonnici (@OwenBonnici) December 6, 2023

Culture Minister Owen Bonnici called the UNESCO decision “big news” for the cultural scene.

“The Maltese Festa is now officially recognised as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. Kudos to the incredible volunteers who bring festas to life across the islands,” Bonnici wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

The festa joins the Maltese ftira and the traditional folk singing, l-għana, which had been given similar recognition in the past.