This year’s carnival celebrations will see the return of old traditions which had faded away from the annual festivities.

These will include traditionally decorated carts and karrozzini as well as band marches, and an increased focus on satire, the organisers said.

“Satire has increased a lot. Since Malta has the EU Presidency, we have a float dedicated to it designed by renowned cartoonist Steve Bell and built by the Maltese carnival participants. Carnival is also spreading into other localities with presentations of the main activities also improving,” carnival artistic director Jason Busuttil said yesterday.

Carnival starts on Thursday February 23 in Pjazza Teatru Rjal with an opening ceremony and an exhibition of the competing costumes. The next day, until February 28, the streets will be transformed into a spectacle of floats, grotesque masks and dance competitions.

A street theatre performance ‘B’Tal-Linja Jaqbillek’ will also be staged in St George’s Square on Saturday evening.

After last year’s success, Ħamrun will celebrate Carnival on Sunday morning, with at least five bands marching through the streets accompanied by a number of floats.

On Monday and Tuesday dance schools will parade in Valletta’s streets. Carnival will end on Tuesday night with the grand defilé in St Anne Street in Floriana.

Carnival will also be celebrated at the Science Interactive Centre in Kalkara thanks to Carnival@Esplora on Saturday February 18 and Sunday 19. Deputy director for education and programme development at Esplora Elton Micallef said short expert talks related to the physics, engineering and the mechanics of carnival float making would be held. Interactive walk-in workshops will also be offered where visitors will be able to paint on carnival masks, model with clay and explore the chemistry of clay minerals.

Carnival will also be celebrated in Zabbar, Għaxaq, Qormi, St Julian’s, Dingli and Naxxar, thanks to a collaboration between the national carnival organisers and the respective councils.