Turtle Tales: Exploring the Lifecycle of Our Shelled Friends
8 April – 2.00PM – 3.00PM – National Museum Of Natural History, Mdina
Wednesday 8th April, Heritage Malta invites children aged 6 years and upwards to dive into the fascinating world of turtles in a hands-on workshop at the National Museum of Natural History in Mdina.
Titled ‘Turtle Tales: Exploring the Lifecycle of Our Shelled Friends’, this fun and educational session is designed to spark curiosity and inspire a love for these incredible marine creatures. The workshop begins at 2:00pm and will be conducted in Maltese and English.
Participants will journey through the life of a turtle, discovering their epic migrations across oceans and their vital role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems. The session will also explore the impact of plastic pollution on turtle populations, showing how ocean litter threatens these remarkable animals and encouraging young attendees to become champions for cleaner seas.
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Lent & Easter Traditions
9 April 2026- 9.30AM – 11.30AM – Inquisitor’s Palace, Birgu
‘Lent & Easter Traditions in Malta’ is a family-friendly educational activity taking place on 9th April from 09:30 to 11:00 at the Inquisitor’s Palace and National Museum of Ethnography, in Birgu. Designed for participants aged 7 and over, this engaging programme explores the rich Lenten and Easter traditions in Malta, offering youngsters and their families an insight into the local customs associated with Holy Week and Easter Sunday.
The activity includes a guided visit to the museum’s permanent display, where participants will learn about the historical and cultural practices surrounding this important period in the Maltese calendar. The experience continues with a hands-on session making the traditional ċuqlajta, followed by a tasting of the beloved figolli, the almond-filled pastries synonymous with Easter celebrations in Malta.
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Ta’ Ħaġrat & Skorba – Festa Frawli Guided Tours
12 April 2026 – 9.30AM – 2.30PM – Ta’ Ħaġrat Megalithic Site, Triq San Pietru, Mgarr
Explore Ta’ Ħaġrat and Skorba during Festa Frawli 2026 on Sunday 12th April. Discover the significance of these two archaeological treasures
Join special guided tours at Ta’ Ħaġrat every hour from 09:30 to 14:30, alternating between Maltese and English, and enjoy self-guided visits to Skorba. Each tour at Ta’ Ħaġrat is designed to accommodate up to 20 guests at €5 per person. Tickets for these tours need to be pre-booked.
Don’t miss this chance to immerse yourself in Malta’s prehistoric past while celebrating one of the island’s sweetest traditions
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Museums by Candlelight – Birgu
18 April 2026 – 7.00PM – Till Late – Birgu
Heritage Malta, in collaboration with the Birgu Local Council, presents the return of Museums by Candlelight on Saturday 18th April, transforming historic Birgu into a spectacular candlelit setting for one unforgettable evening.
This year, three landmark sites will open from 7:00 pm until midnight (last admission at 12:00 am): Fort St Angelo, the Inquisitor’s Palace, and, for the first time, St Lawrence Church and Museum. More than 15,000 candles will illuminate these sites, creating a unique atmosphere where heritage, history, and ambience come alive.
At Fort St Angelo, you are invited to walk through centuries of Maltese history shaped by warfare, resilience, and transformation. Standing proudly at the tip of the Birgu peninsula and overlooking the Grand Harbour, this formidable fortress has guarded the islands since medieval times, when it was known as Castrum Maris. Strengthened by the Order of St John after 1530, it played a decisive role during the Great Siege of 1565 before serving as a major coastal stronghold and Royal Navy base. Nowadays, as you explore its bastions and passageways, you will discover immersive historical displays, remarkable artillery, and sweeping panoramic views – an experience that brings Malta’s strategic legacy vividly to life.
At the Inquisitor’s Palace, you will discover one of Malta’s most evocative historic buildings, serving both as a historic house museum and the National Museum of Ethnography. Built in the 1530s and transformed into the seat of the Holy Office in 1574, the Palace functioned as the centre of the Roman Inquisition in Malta for more than 224 years. As you explore its rooms, you will see the striking contrast between elegant private apartments and grand reception halls, and the stark tribunal chamber, prison complex, and interrogation spaces, reflecting the Inquisitor’s dual role as ecclesiastical diplomat and supreme judge. This layered experience, linking domestic life, official duties, and Malta’s cultural heritage, is further enriched by the National Textiles Collection.
St Lawrence Church and Museum offers a rare opportunity to explore one of Malta’s most historically rich and artistically significant ecclesiastical complexes. Visitors can admire remarkable treasures, including Grand Master Jean de Valette’s hat and battle sword, rare 16th-century silver artefacts brought from Rhodes by the Knights of St John, and a Venetian painting attributed to Palma Vecchio. The church itself is an architectural masterpiece by Lorenzo Gafà, housing Mattia Preti’s monumental depiction of the martyrdom of Saint Lawrence, historic reliquaries, Gothic altar crosses, and wooden apostles sculpted by Mariano Gerada.
The evening will also feature live entertainment at two of the venues.
- Harpist Jacob Portelli will perform at the Inquisitor’s Palace from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm.
- At Fort St Angelo, Bernie & Pod and Kathy the Violinist will entertain audiences from 8:30 pm till midnight and from 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm respectively.
Visitors can also enjoy a historical re-enactment of the In Guardia at Fort St Angelo, along with artisan stalls and food and beverage stands.
The In Guardia march will start at 7:00 pm from Birgu’s main entrance. The procession will make stops at the Inquisitor’s Palace, St Lawrence Church and Museum, and Fort St Angelo, where the participants will remain stationed until midnight.
General admission tickets, granting access to all three sites, are available for just €3 and can be purchased online or at any Heritage Malta museum or site, or else at the door of Fort St Angelo and the Inquisitor’s Palace during the event. Heritage Malta members enter free of charge, but pre-booking is still required.
Tickets are non-refundable. Please note that online ticket purchase does not provide priority access.
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Archaeologist for a Day
25 April 2026- 9.00AM – 13.00PM – National Museum Of Natural History, Mdina
Discover the thrill of unearthing Malta’s distant past at the remarkable Kordin III Megalithic Site on Saturday 25th April. Archaeologist for a Day invites young explorers aged 6–12 to take part in an exciting, hands-on archaeological adventure.
The activity will be held in two groups: the first from 09:00 to 11:00, and the second from 11:00 to 13:00. Each group begins with a short guided introduction to the site, helping children understand its importance within Malta’s prehistoric heritage before stepping into the role of field archaeologists.
Through supervised practical activities, participants will learn how to observe and excavate carefully, record their finds through drawing, and handle artefacts responsibly while practising real archaeological skills in a fun and engaging way.
Organised in collaboration with the Paola Local Council, the activity will be delivered in both Maltese and English.
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The Maltese Hypogea in the European Context
8 May 2026- 6.00PM – 7.00PM – St Paul’s Catacombs, Triq Hal-Bajjada, Rabat
What makes Malta’s underground burial sites different from those across the Mediterranean? And how did these spaces reflect both shared traditions and local innovation?
Join us on Friday 8th May at 6:00pm for a public lecture exploring how St Paul’s Catacombs fit within the wider European and Mediterranean funerary landscape. The talk will examine how Malta’s underground burial traditions echo broader cultural influences while developing a distinctive architectural scale and strong relationship with the surrounding landscape.
St Paul’s Catacombs illustrate the transition from earlier shaft-and-chamber tombs to more complex hypogea. Their variety of tomb types and the presence of triclinia can be compared with examples from Roman and North African contexts. Decorative elements, such as menorah carvings and early Christian symbols, place the site within the shared symbolic language of the Mediterranean.
At the same time, the scale and density of the catacombs, together with their careful integration within quarry landscapes and the urban periphery of ancient Melite, highlight the distinctive character of Malta’s subterranean commemorative tradition.
This combination of shared influences and uniqueness contributed to the site’s recognition with the European Heritage Label, acknowledging its importance within Europe’s shared cultural history.
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