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Last updated November 2026. Dates and times come from the official Bethlehem f’Għajnsielem 2026 programme published by the Ministry for Gozo.
Bethlehem f’Għajnsielem 2026 opens on Saturday 12 December 2026 and runs on selected days until Sunday 3 January 2027. Gozo’s living nativity village, now in its 17th edition, covers 20,000 square metres at Ta’ Passi fields in Għajnsielem, a short walk from Mġarr Harbour. It is organised by the Għajnsielem Local Council and listed as free to visit on Events in Gozo.
You may also see it spelt Betlehem f’Għajnsielem or Bethlehem Ghajnsielem. However you write it, it is a Christmas tradition loved across Malta and Gozo, and a highlight of Christmas in Gozo 2026.
| Date | Opening hours |
|---|---|
| Saturday 12 December 2026 | 14:30 to 19:00 |
| Sunday 13 December 2026 | 15:00 to 19:00 |
| Wednesday 16 December 2026 | 09:30 to 12:00, school students’ edition |
| Saturday 19 December 2026 | 16:00 to 19:00 |
| Sunday 20 December 2026 | 15:00 to 19:00 |
| Friday 25 December 2026 (Christmas Day) | 16:00 to 19:00 |
| Saturday 26 December 2026 | 14:30 to 19:00 |
| Sunday 27 December 2026 | 14:30 to 19:00 |
| Monday 28 December 2026 | 14:30 to 19:00 |
| Friday 1 January 2027 (New Year’s Day) | 16:00 to 19:00 |
| Sunday 3 January 2027 (Adoration of the Magi) | 14:00 to 19:00 |
The morning of 16 December is reserved for schools. Times can change with the weather, so check the Bethlehem f’Għajnsielem Facebook page or call the Għajnsielem Local Council on 2156 1515 before you go.
Walk in and you step back two thousand years. Volunteers in period dress play villagers, shepherds and craftsmen, and the lanes are busy with daily life: traditional crafts, farm work and live animals. In past editions, visitors have watched bread being baked and wool being spun.
What makes it special is how Maltese it feels. Local folklore and traditions are woven into the Nativity story, drawing on the much loved Maltese crib, the presepju. It is less a show to watch than a village to wander, which is why families come back every year.
The season ends with its most moving moment. The Three Kings leave a village in Malta in the morning, cross to Gozo in the afternoon and make a triumphal entry into the nativity village to present their gifts to the Baby Jesus. Look for them around Mġarr Harbour and Ta’ Passi fields from 15:00. The village is open from 14:00 to 19:00 that day, and it gets busy, so come early.
Yes, from 16:00 to 19:00, and on New Year’s Day at the same times.
The official Events in Gozo listing shows it as free to visit.
At Ta’ Passi fields in Għajnsielem, Gozo, a short walk from Mġarr Harbour.
Yes. Live animals, craftsmen at work and costumed villagers make it a favourite family outing.
Bethlehem f’Għajnsielem opens on selected afternoons, so it pays to stay on the island rather than rush a day trip. Townhouse 17 sits right opposite Victoria’s bus terminus, and buses towards Mġarr stop in Għajnsielem, so the nativity village is a short ride from our door. Every other village in Gozo is a bus ride away too.
Back in Victoria, the Villa Rundle Illuminated Gardens and Christmas Market and the town’s Christmas concerts are a few minutes’ walk from the hotel, ready for an evening stroll after an afternoon in the fields.
Our nine rooms, a rooftop terrace with views of the Citadel and breakfast every morning make an easy base for the season, and guests enjoy 10% off at Chapeau Bistro downstairs, HOG and Cup Cake.
Plan your visit to Bethlehem f’Għajnsielem. Book directly at townhouse17.com for our best available rates.
