Summer Carnival in Bugibba this weekend

Twenty-two years after Malta removed the May carnival, a summer festival will be held in Bugibba this weekend - although it will not replace the main festival in February.

The Summer Grand Carnival in Buġibba is being organised by the St Paul's Bay council and Catwalk Productions and will feature floats, dancing groups, grotesque masks known as maskaruni, and the traditional ġostra, where competitors climb a greased pole over the sea in an attempt to grab the flag stuck to the end of it.

The activities will be held on Saturday and Sunday in the Main Square and Islet Promenade from 7 p.m.

Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said said the carnival would benefit from special funds allocated to the local councils to organise special activities. In this case, he said, carnival would be a special attraction for the thousands of Maltese and tourists residing in the area.

He pointed out that summer carnivals were held in several EU cities and this "experiment" in Malta would help the numerous commercial outlets in the area.

He called on people visiting Bugibba this weekend to wear carnival costumes.