What it is
Il-Bandu tal-Imnarja is the formal opening of the Mnarja celebrations: a centuries-old ceremony in which the proclamation ("bandu") of the feast of Saints Peter and Paul is read aloud, the palji (the prized embroidered banners awarded to the winning horses of the Mnarja races) are blessed, and a procession moves through Mdina and Rabat.
The 2026 edition begins at 6:00 pm inside St Paul's Cathedral in Mdina with a solemn pontifical mass and the blessing of the palji, then continues with a ceremonial defilé out through the Mdina Gate and down through Rabat. The participants are in period costume and the route is lined with flag-bearers; the whole thing wraps up around 8:30 pm.
Best vantage points are the steps of the Cathedral inside Mdina, or Misrah San Pawl (St Paul's Square) in Rabat for the procession. Parking fills up after 5 pm — easier to park on the Saqqajja or Ta' Qali side and walk in through the gate.