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WATCH | Fireworks association says owner to blame over unsafe environment for horses during festa
Maltese Fireworks Association rejects criticism over a festa display in Mosta which left horses appearing panicked, insisting responsibility lies with the animals’ owner • Stables are illegal and have been subject to an enforcement notice since 2011
22 August 2025, 1:51pm
Karl Azzopardi / Matthew Farrugia
Karl Azzopardi / Matthew Farrugia
1 min read
The footage, posted on Facebook by athlete and animal lover Fabio Spiteri, captures horses scattering in a field in Mosta while loud blasts go off
Updated at 6:15pm with Maltese Fireworks Association reaction
The Maltese Fireworks Association has rejected criticism over a festa display in Mosta that left horses appearing panicked, insisting responsibility lies with the animals’ owner.
It also questioned whether the farm structures were legally authorised.
The stables are illegal and have been subject to an enforcement notice since 2011, MaltaToday has learnt.
A video shared on Facebook by athlete and animal advocate Fabio Spiteri showed horses scattering in a field as fireworks exploded overhead, with smoke, sparks and debris filling the area.
Spiteri warned the displays risk setting fields alight and killing animals, urging Culture Minister Owen Bonnici to review the situation.
In response, association president and former MP Godfrey Farrugia defended the organisers, saying they had taken extensive precautions ahead of the event.
These included covering a nearby tent to shield the animals, assigning an additional fire engine to the site, engaging a volunteer with a bowser to assist firefighters, and wetting surrounding fields before the display.
Farrugia said the horse owner had been given a full schedule of firework times weeks in advance and had been reminded to keep the animals under shelter, but failed to do so.
Farrugia also said the fireworks had been let off from the area in questions since 1997.
Citing the Animal Welfare Act, he argued that the ultimate duty of care lies with the owner.
The law states that anyone responsible for an animal must take reasonable steps to ensure its health and well-being, Farrugia said.
Karl Azzopardi is Online Editor and an IGM press awards (Human Stories) winner of 2019
Matthew Farrugia is a journalist at MaltaToday
He was the joint-winner (2025) as upcoming...
