What is there to do in Mdina in 2026?

Mdina and Rabat host the Imnarja folk festival, the feasts of St Peter & St Paul and St Paul (Rabat), the Parade of Carts and museum events like "Ask the Curator" in 2026. Year-round: the walled Silent City, St Paul's Cathedral, the bastions and the Rabat catacombs.

Imnarja (Mnarja) is one of Malta's oldest folk festivals, rooted in the feast of St Peter & St Paul. It traditionally centres on Rabat and the nearby Buskett Gardens with folk music, food and agricultural shows in late June.

How do I get to Mdina?

Mdina sits in central Malta, about 20–25 minutes by bus from the Valletta terminus. The walled city is car-free — park or alight outside the Mdina Gate and explore on foot.

Malta guide

Things to do in Mdina 2026

Mdina — the "Silent City" — was Malta's capital for over a thousand years before Valletta. Its medieval and Baroque walled core, perched on a hill in the centre of the island, is one of Europe's best-preserved fortified towns and a filming location made famous worldwide.

Quick answer

The 2026 calendar around Mdina and neighbouring Rabat blends heritage and tradition: the Imnarja folk festival (one of Malta's oldest), the great feasts of St Peter & St Paul and St Paul in Rabat, museum events such as "Ask the Curator", the Parade of Carts, Cabs and Carriages, and seasonal cultural nights.

What's on around Mdina 2026

Imnarja (Il-Bandu tal-Imnarja) (from 20 Jun) — one of Malta's oldest folk festivals.
Feast of St Peter & St Paul (28 Jun) — the major Mnarja-linked feast in the Rabat/Mdina area.
Ask the Curator (21 Jun) — museum/heritage event in the walled city.
Parade of Carts, Cabs and Carriages (28 Jun) — traditional procession.
Feast of St Paul, Rabat (4 Jul) — Rabat's headline village festa.

Why visit Mdina

Mdina is compact and car-free: you enter through the Mdina Gate into a maze of narrow limestone streets, palazzos, St Paul's Cathedral and bastion viewpoints that look right across the island to Valletta and the sea. It pairs naturally with neighbouring Rabat, where the catacombs of St Paul and St Agatha and the Domus Romana lie just outside the walls.

It is roughly central on Malta, about 20–25 minutes by bus from Valletta. Visit late afternoon to see the "Silent City" empty of day-trippers and the walls glow at sunset.

FAQ

What is there to do in Mdina in 2026?: Mdina and Rabat host the Imnarja folk festival, the feasts of St Peter & St Paul and St Paul (Rabat), the Parade of Carts and museum events like "Ask the Curator" in 2026. Year-round: the walled Silent City, St Paul's Cathedral, the bastions and the Rabat catacombs.
What is Imnarja?: Imnarja (Mnarja) is one of Malta's oldest folk festivals, rooted in the feast of St Peter & St Paul. It traditionally centres on Rabat and the nearby Buskett Gardens with folk music, food and agricultural shows in late June.
How do I get to Mdina?: Mdina sits in central Malta, about 20–25 minutes by bus from the Valletta terminus. The walled city is car-free — park or alight outside the Mdina Gate and explore on foot.