Gay Malta

Yes — same-sex marriage is legal in Malta. See the Legal Status panel on this page for the specifics. Malta has topped ILGA-Europe's Rainbow Map every year since 2015. Same-sex relations were decriminalised in 1973, civil unions with full joint adoption came in 2014 alongside a constitutional amendment protecting sexual orientation and gender identity, and marriage opened on 1 September 2017. The 2015 Gender Identity, Gender Expression and Sex Characteristics Act lets anyone change legal gender by notarised declaration with no medical requirement and outlawed non-consensual surgery on intersex children. Malta was the first EU country to ban conversion therapy, in 2016. Lesbian couples have had IVF access since 2018, a non-binary birth certificate option arrived in 2024, and gay and bisexual men can donate blood. Public support for same-sex marriage is around three-quarters. Valletta Pride in September has grown into a week-long festival, and EuroPride came to the island in 2023. The scene is small, concentrated around Paceville and Valletta, and a 2020 survey found many LGBTQ people still felt unsafe in Paceville at night. For visitors it is one of the easiest destinations in the Mediterranean.

The cities listed on this page have the most active LGBTQ+ scenes in Malta, typically anchored by the capital and the largest tourist cities. Each city page links to verified LGBTQ+ venues and upcoming events.

Yes — gay-friendly and gay-popular hotels are listed on each city page in Malta. International chains in central districts are reliably welcoming; independent boutique options are flagged where the community has verified them.

Pride events take place in Malta — check the events calendar on this site and each city page for the current year's dates.