It is an annual community event commemorating popular religiosity held in parishes throughout Malta and Gozo.
There are multiple festi in different villages every weekend throughout Malta's main festa season which starts at the end of April and lasts until the beginning of October.
This week is marked by fireworks displays, concerts, band marches, and the tolling of church bells. Street vendors sell festival foods such as nougat. The festi remain an important part of cultural heritage in Maltese villages despite secularization. They are celebrations of popular religion and the identity of local communities, bringing families, outsiders, and locals together. Numerous decorations, fireworks, and marching bands enhanced the liturgical celebrations that extended into the public sphere. Preparations are conducted all year round by community volunteers. Festi usually lasts a whole week. On the final day of the festival, the statue is carried by parish confraternities and marching bands as part of a procession led by the clergy. In addition to the clergy, other community leaders have played an active role in keeping the festi alive.
There was some fear in the 1960s that public enthusiasm for the festa would decline, but this did not happen, particularly because visible celebrations of the community were needed. An accreditation program for wind band scholars was created in 2018 as a partnership between band clubs and the University of Malta. In order to ensure the preservation of the original works, parishes conduct regular research to ensure that any restoration is science-based. In 2020, most festi, music lessons, and fundraising activities were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, festival associations repaired decorations from home and hosted virtual fundraisers, concerts, and music lessons.
As part of the Malta Tourism Authority's International Fireworks Festival, local fireworks producers have had the opportunity to engage with foreign fireworks producers since 2002. In 2018, the State created a new festival to promote the four festi and two band clubs of Valletta as part of the European Capital of Culture Program. A series of introductory courses on 'Festa Decorations' was organized by the Lifelong Learning Directorate in 2012, followed by courses on embroidery and wood painting. As part of the research and understanding of festa as an ICH, the State supported a national conference in 2014. A further allocation of €200,000 was provided to Band Clubs by the State during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. There is also a mini-budget for COVID-19 of $3,000,000 available for festa organization.