Carnivals in Malta were first organised shortly after the Knights of St John came to the Island in 1535. The first that really broke out into general jollification was probably the Carnival of 1560, when a massed Christian Armada was harbour-bound in Malta before sailing to Tripoli. Carnival is the oldest festival in the world. Some authors even suggest it originated around 10,000 BC, from the seasonal farming rituals of the ancient peoples.

Besides Valletta Carnival is also held in the island of Gozo. They used to decorate their horse-carts with palm leaves and other types of leaves and anything which they managed to find around in those exciting pre-Carnival days. Ready-made costumes were hard to find and expensive to buy, therefore, they used to make up their own costumes out of sheets, blankets and other every-day clothes. This was to be the Carnival of the past, a Carnival with no set of rules and organisation. But it was a spontaneous Carnival, a Carnival inspired from the needs of the people who used to live a very hard life, full of restrictions and limitations. Fortunately this type of Carnival has set roots in several villages of Gozo and one can still enjoy them at Nadur, Xaghra and Sannat.

The Gozitan village of Nadur is the World's Carnival City 2004/2005. The grotesque and macabre Carnival in Nadur is a unique experience and has become one of the biggest spontaneous events which take place in the Maltese Islands during Carnival time.

Carnival Sunday always occurs seven Sundays before Easter, between February and March.