Every September, a village of about 1,500 people on the island of Gozo fills with puppets taller than its houses. The Gozo International Puppet Festival is devoted entirely to puppetry and takes place in Għarb, a quiet village on the western side of Gozo. Gozo is the second largest island of Malta and lies a ferry ride of roughly 25 minutes from the main island. If you are still deciding when to come over, our guide to planning your Gozo trip helps you fit it into your week.
The third edition ran from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September 2026. The first edition was held on 28 and 29 September 2024 and lasted two days. The second edition followed from 26 to 28 September 2025 and grew to three days, a length the organisers kept in 2026.
The festival at a glance
| Detail | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Where | Għarb, western Gozo |
| When | The last weekend of September |
| Length | Three days |
| Entry | Free |
| Main attraction | Żgugina, a puppet 6 metres tall |
| Getting there | About 15 minutes by bus or car from Victoria |
What happens during the festival
The festival is held outdoors, in the streets and on the square in front of the Basilica of the Visitation, the large church in the centre of Għarb. The giant puppets walk through the crowd and react to the people around them.
The opening evening of 2026 shows how the programme works. At 18:00 the theatre show Metamorphosis started in the Għarb Parish Theatre. The show told a story about change and imagination through puppets, movement and visual effects. From 20:00 until 22:30 the giant puppets performed on the church square in the open air.
Next to the giant puppets, visitors see marionettes. A marionette is a puppet that hangs on strings and is moved from above by a puppeteer. The festival also offers workshops, which are short lessons where children and adults try puppetry themselves. Earlier editions included a workshop on shadow play, where a story is told with shadows on a lit screen. It has the same warm, local feel as the traditional village festas in Malta.
Żgugina, the puppet with a local story
The best known figure of the festival is Żgugina, a puppet that stands 6 metres tall. Maltese and Gozitan artists, craftsmen and volunteers built her by hand, and she was a main attraction of the 2025 edition.
Żgugina comes from a legend that belongs to Għarb. In the story she is an old woman whose son is taken by pirates. She prays to Saint Demetrius in a small chapel outside the village, and the saint rides out on his horse and brings her son home. The chapel of Saint Demetrius still stands on the cliffs near Għarb, so visitors can see the place where the legend is set.
A second giant puppet, Fatima, is 4 metres tall. She was made as a tribute to mothers who have lost a child. The first edition in 2024 also brought three giant puppets from France to the village.
Who is behind it
The festival is organised by the Għarb Local Council, the elected body that runs the village, with the support of the Ministry for Gozo and Planning. Jean Paul Mifsud is the artistic director, which means he chooses the shows and the artists. Mayor David Apap Agius has explained the choice for puppets in simple terms. A puppet needs no shared language and no technology, so young children and visitors from abroad follow the same story.
Practical information for visitors
Entry to the festival is free. For the indoor theatre show in 2026, visitors had to reserve a free seat online in advance. The street performances need no booking.
Għarb is reached by bus or car from Victoria, the capital of Gozo, in about 15 minutes. The festival has taken place on the last weekend of September three years in a row, so anyone who wants to combine it with a holiday can plan around that weekend. A guided day out like our Geführte Tour Discovering Gozo takes care of the ferry and the driving, and for a slower look at the quiet corners of the island there is the Geführte Tour Gozo with a Difference.
Häufige Fragen
When is the Gozo International Puppet Festival?
It takes place on the last weekend of September and runs for three days. In 2026 it was held from Friday 25 to Sunday 27 September in the village of Għarb.
How much does it cost to visit?
Entry is free. The outdoor street performances need no booking, but for the indoor theatre show you reserve a free seat online in advance.
How do I get to Għarb?
Għarb is about 15 minutes by bus or car from Victoria, the capital of Gozo. Gozo itself is a ferry ride of roughly 25 minutes from the main island of Malta.