Malta is quiet on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, but it does not switch off. In 2026, Christmas Day falls on Friday 25 December and New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January 2027, so both make a long weekend. Buses run on a reduced schedule, ferries pause at lunchtime, Heritage Malta museums are closed and most shops shut, while many restaurants, hotels, churches and village streets stay open. This guide shows what to expect and how to plan around it.
Important: the bus, ferry and museum notices for the 2026 holidays are usually published in the second half of December. What follows is based on the official notices from recent years, so treat the times as a guide and check the official sites linked below before you travel.
The short version
- Public holidays: Christmas Day (Fri 25 Dec 2026) and New Year’s Day (Fri 1 Jan 2027). See the full list on our Malta public holidays guide.
- Buses: in recent years a Sunday timetable with a break around midday and an early finish in the evening.
- Ferries: the Gozo ferries and the Valletta harbour ferries have all paused around lunchtime on these two days.
- Heritage Malta museums and sites: closed on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 January.
- Restaurants and hotels: many are open, some close, and several run set menus. Book ahead.
- Shops: most are closed on both days. Some supermarkets open for a few hours in the morning.
Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve
The two eves are not public holidays, but they matter for sightseeing. Heritage Malta closes its museums and sites on both 24 and 31 December, so Christmas Eve is a day for walking, shopping and lights rather than indoor visits. Local guides describe it as one of the busiest days of the year in the shops, with people buying last-minute gifts and food, so expect crowds in town centres.
On Christmas Eve, parishes across the islands hold a late-evening Midnight Mass, with carols and a child giving the sermon. Visitors are welcome to attend quietly, and churches fill up early. Our guide to Maltese Christmas traditions explains what happens and where to see the cribs.
New Year’s Eve is a different mood. Valletta hosts the national celebration, and in the past the bus company has added special late services from the capital. If you plan to be there, read our New Year’s Eve in Malta guide. In 2025 the Valletta ferries ran until 1:00 am on the night of 31 December, which is the kind of extra service to look for again this year.
Buses on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day
Malta Public Transport has followed the same pattern for several years. In its December 2024 announcement, it said the Sunday schedule would apply on both days, with a break in service between 12:00 and 15:00 and the final trips on all routes finishing by 21:00. Ticket offices and the call centre are closed on both days. Earlier notices show the same lunchtime pause, and some earlier years also said the last morning buses leave between about 10:00 and 11:30, depending on the route length.
In practice, this means you can still get around, but you should not plan a tight day. A morning trip to Valletta, a long lunch and a late-afternoon bus back works well. Trying to catch a bus at 13:00 does not. Check the Tallinja app or the Malta Public Transport website a few days before, and read our Malta bus and Tallinja card guide if you have not used the system before.
The days between Christmas and New Year are usually run as normal service in the company’s announcements, apart from the two holidays themselves, though the exact pattern changes from year to year.
Ferries to Gozo and around Valletta
The Gozo Channel ferry
Gozo Channel has suspended its Mġarr and Ċirkewwa crossings around lunchtime on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day so that crews can have lunch with their families. In its 2020 press release the suspension ran from 12:00 to 15:00, with the last crossing from Mġarr at 11:30 and from Ċirkewwa at 12:00, and the service resuming in the afternoon. A notice for the 2025 holidays was published on 20 December 2025, so expect the 2026 notice in the same period. The current timetable is on the Gozo Channel schedule page.
The Gozo fast ferry and Valletta harbour ferries
For the 2025 holidays, Gozo Highspeed announced that its last departure from both Mġarr and Valletta on 25 December and 1 January would be at 11:45, resuming at 15:45. The Sliema to Valletta and Three Cities ferries paused between 12:00 and 16:00 on both days last year.
The lesson is simple: on these two days, be on the right side of the water before noon. If you are going to Gozo for the day, read our Gozo day trip guide and our Christmas in Gozo page, which covers the Bethlehem village and the lights. Travel earlier in the day, and plan to stay for lunch or the afternoon rather than rushing back at midday.
Museums and heritage sites
Heritage Malta’s own leaflet says its museums and sites are closed on 1 January, Good Friday, and 24, 25 and 31 December. That covers the big names, including the National Museum of Archaeology, the Grand Master’s Palace, Fort St Elmo and the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing time at all sites, and some sites can be closed for restoration, so check before you go.
Tickets for popular sites such as the Hypogeum sell out well ahead, and in past years the festive closures made last-minute tickets unavailable for several days around the holidays. If a temple or museum is on your list, book for 22 or 23 December or from 26 December. Our Heritage Malta museums and sites guide lists what is worth your time.
Shops, supermarkets and restaurants
On both holidays, banks, government offices and most shops are closed. Local guides report that some supermarkets and small grocers open for a few hours in the morning only, so buy what you need on Christmas Eve or 30 December. Pharmacies and emergency services keep working, and hospitals stay open.
Eating out is easier than shopping. Many restaurants and hotels are open, but several close so staff can be with their families, and others switch to a fixed-price Christmas menu. Hotels often serve a buffet lunch. The advice from local guides is to ask exactly what is on offer and to book early, because the Maltese traditionally spend these two days at long family lunches, often with baked pasta or timpana, roast meat, and panettone or mince pies for dessert.
What to do when everything is closed
A quiet day suits slow plans. These are good ideas for 25 December and 1 January:
- Walk the Valletta fortifications and streets. The lights are on and the city is calm. See our guides to Christmas in Valletta and the Valletta city guide.
- Visit a live crib or village. Opening hours are limited on Christmas Day, so check ahead. Our Christmas in Malta guide has the main events.
- Drive or walk the coast. Dingli Cliffs and the countryside are lovely in winter light.
- Have a long lunch. This is the most Maltese way to spend the day.
The weather matters too. Christmas is often mild and sunny, with highs of about 15 to 18°C, but showers are possible. Check the forecast on our Malta This Week page, which shows the 7-day weather and what is on, and keep our list of things to do in Malta when it rains handy as a backup.
Boxing Day and 2 January
Boxing Day is not a public holiday in Malta, and Malta’s list of 14 public holidays does not include 26 December. Heritage Malta’s closure dates do not include it either, so museums and sites reopen on Saturday 26 December. Many businesses stay quiet between Christmas and New Year, and shops often start their sales, so roads are calm and bargains are easy to find. Normal life returns after New Year’s Day, though a few places run reduced hours until the first week of January.
Frequently asked questions
Are buses running on Christmas Day in Malta?
Yes, but not normally. In recent years buses have followed the Sunday schedule, with a pause around 12:00 to 15:00 and the last trips by about 21:00. Check the Tallinja app for the 2026 timetable once it is announced.
Is the Gozo ferry open on Christmas Day?
Yes, but it pauses around lunchtime. Gozo Channel has suspended crossings from about 12:00 to 15:00 on 25 December and 1 January, and the fast ferry has also had a midday break. Cross in the morning and check the official schedule.
Is Valletta open on Christmas Day?
The streets, churches, some cafes and restaurants are open, but Heritage Malta museums and most shops are closed. It is a pleasant day for a walk rather than for sightseeing indoors.
Are shops open on New Year’s Day in Malta?
Most are closed, because 1 January is a public holiday. A few supermarkets or small shops may open in the morning, so buy supplies on 31 December.
Do I need to book a restaurant for Christmas Day?
Yes, book as early as you can. Many restaurants close or serve a fixed menu on 25 December and 1 January, and hotels often offer a buffet lunch.
In short
Christmas Day and New Year’s Day in Malta are for walking, lunch and church bells, not for museums or shopping. Move your plans to the days around them, travel before noon when ferries are involved, stock up on 24 and 31 December, and book your table. Prices, times and rules change, so check the official sites before you go.
Planning further ahead? Read our Malta in December guide and the Malta events calendar.