Malta in summer and spring: the sea, the feasts and the heat

I’ve put summer together with the spring that leads into it, because in Malta the good weather starts well before June, and so does the urge to swim. March to May is the season of wind and Saharan dust, and June to September the season of heat, beaches and village feasts. If you want to pick a specific month, each one is covered in the best time to visit Malta.

Spring, when Malta gets going

The Met Office gives spring an average of 16.8°C (62°F), 68.6 mm of rain and almost 785 hours of sunshine. March is still windy with a cold sea, but by May it’s around 20°C, and summer sometimes jumps the queue. In 2024, for instance, May already had three days of heatwave, peaking at 32.3°C.

The detail I’d bear in mind is dust. When a depression settles over the Maghreb, desert sand crosses the sea and leaves days of white skies and low visibility. In April 2022 it was observed on six days. It won’t spoil a holiday, but it can spoil a clifftop photo.

Spring also brings two dates worth planning around. The Malta International Fireworks Festival filled the second half of April in 2026, from the 18th in Nadur to the final on the 30th, and Easter processions take over the villages in Holy Week. Easter 2027 comes early, with Good Friday on 26 March, so expect spring rather than summer weather.

Summer, dry heat and no rain

From June to August the rainfall norm is 15.8 mm in total. 2026 was more extreme. The last rain the Met Office measured at Luqa before its end-of-summer note on 28 August had fallen on 16 May. July’s average high is 31.7°C (89°F) and August’s 32°C (90°F).

Heatwaves are no longer unusual. The July 2026 heatwave lasted a week and set a reading of 43.3°C (110°F) on Saturday the 18th, unmatched in a hundred years of Julys, plus three days in a row above 42°C, another first. The Met Office issued a red warning. Another, shorter one followed at the end of August, with an orange warning and a forecast “feels like” temperature close to 46°C because of the humidity.

What to do in Malta in summer

First, the sea. With the water between 22 and 26°C, it’s the season for the best beaches in Malta, for snorkelling and for boat trips to Comino. The 2026 Blue Flag season ran from 29 May to 11 October, with lifeguarded beaches and sea-condition flags. And for the Blue Lagoon, remember the free booking required since 2025, with no more than 4,000 swimmers allowed at once.

Second, the feasts. According to Visit Malta each festa runs for three days or more, and the season strings weekends together from the end of spring into September. Expect bunting over the streets, saints in papier-mâché, stalls of Maltese nougat and fireworks to wrap it up. On Gozo, the Ministry published the 2026 calendar, which took in Għasri, Fontana, Gozo and Xewkija in June. The dates and my favourites are in Malta’s village feasts. In Malta in September I follow the season through to Xagħra’s feast on the 8th.

Third, culture on summer hours. With the long 2026 hours, applied by Heritage Malta from March to October, the big temples and forts closed at 19:00, and I’d save them for the end of the day.

Coping with the heat without missing out

My plan for July and August is simple. Sightseeing first thing, sea or a siesta from 12:00 to 17:00, and a stroll as the evening cools. The Met Office tells people to follow the health authorities’ advice, drink plenty of water and avoid long exposure to direct sun, and in the first week of June 2026 the UV index had already reached 10, which counts as very high. Pack high-factor sun cream from home. For refills, the answer to can you drink tap water in Malta is yes by the utility’s account, even if it can taste of chlorine.

Getting around, you pay €2.50 per bus ticket in summer, and from June to October the Sliema to Valletta boat stays on until midnight on Sundays and public holidays. It’s the coolest way across the harbour. And if you’d rather spend the night on the water, the Ministry for Gozo names summer as peak season for Malta boat parties.

What to book early

July and August are the airport’s busiest months (1,035,341 and 1,072,390 passengers in 2025), and hotel occupancy from July to September 2024 was 80.7%. I’d book accommodation, any car hire and the Comino boat well ahead. If your trip falls in high summer, see Malta in August, and if you prefer early summer, Malta in June. For the month of Valletta’s Jazz Festival there’s Malta in July.