Olive Gardens, Mdina

Few places in Malta frame a celebration quite like Mdina. The walled city on its ridge in the middle of the island is honey coloured by day and floodlit after dark, and Olive Gardens sits right beneath its fortifications. The venue belongs to the Camilleri Catering stable and is used by no other caterer, so the same team handles the food, the service and the running of the evening. It appears in our listings of wedding venues in Malta and entertainment venues across the islands, and it is a natural shortlist choice for UK couples planning a wedding abroad.

The setting is the main draw: lawns and olive trees on two garden levels, a pool terrace, a courtyard and indoor space for when the weather turns, all looking up at the lit bastions.

The venue and its spaces

Olive Gardens is flexible enough for a drinks reception of a few dozen people or a large party. Inside, the rooms take roughly 350 to 400 people standing, while the upper and lower gardens together hold up to 1,000 standing guests. For a sit down meal, plan on about 100 places indoors or 250 in the gardens. That split matters in Malta, where most weddings are held outdoors between late spring and early autumn, but where a covered option is sensible for a winter date.

The gardens are planted with olive groves and lawns, and there is a pool area and a small courtyard that work well for canapés, photographs or a quieter corner away from the dance floor. In daylight the backdrop is green countryside and pale stone; in the evening the floodlit walls of Mdina become the centrepiece. Photographers love it, and our directory of photography studios in Malta lists local professionals who know the island's light well.

Weddings at Olive Gardens

Maltese weddings tend to be big, lively affairs, and many local couples choose a standing reception with a long run of finger food rather than a formal dinner. Camilleri Catering keeps a catalogue of more than 300 canapés and party dishes, mixing familiar Maltese favourites with more inventive bites, and it also caters seated weddings for smaller or more formal parties. Couples travelling from the UK can book the venue for a destination wedding, with the catering team guiding them from the first enquiry through to the day itself.

A typical day is built around a church service or a civil ceremony followed by the reception at the gardens. Mdina and neighbouring Rabat have several historic churches nearby, and the venue hire period is timed from before the ceremony so the set up is ready when guests arrive. If you would rather hand the logistics to someone local, compare the event planners in Malta we list, many of whom work regularly with overseas couples.

Venue hire rates for 2026

Hire of Olive Gardens is priced by season and by day of the week, and the figures exclude VAT. For 2026, a Saturday or public holiday costs €2,950 from January to March, €4,950 from April to July, €4,150 from August to October and €2,950 in November and December. Weekdays, Sundays and the eve of public holidays are cheaper: €2,350 from January to March, €4,400 from April to July, €3,750 from August to October and €2,550 in November and December.

Each rate covers ten hours of use, counted from two hours before a church service or three hours before a civil ceremony, with an hour allowed for set up before service begins. Going beyond ten hours is charged at €250 plus VAT for every extra hour until the clear down is finished. Optional decorative packages start from €300 and can add bistro tables, garden seating, lanterns, candles, draped bars and feature lighting, with the fuller packages also dressing the pool area and the courtyard. Food and drink are quoted separately by the catering team according to your menu.

Parties, corporate events and catering

Weddings are only part of the picture. The gardens host birthday parties, anniversaries, christenings, Holy Communion and Confirmation celebrations, baby showers, graduations and engagement parties, and children's parties can be themed with cakes, sweets and candy bars. For businesses, Camilleri Catering runs coffee breaks, cold buffet lunches and client dinners, which suits an incentive trip or a company away day on the island. Anyone comparing options will find more choice among the catering companies in Malta in our directory.

The same caterer also works away from Mdina, bringing its service to more than 20 other locations, including historic sites such as Fort St Elmo, Fort St Angelo, Ħaġar Qim and the Tarxien Temples, as well as gardens, wine estates and villas. If you are holding a smaller event at home or in a rented villa, festa style party menus can be ordered for delivery or collection with 48 hours' notice, and delivery is free on orders of €100 or more.

Planning a visit around Mdina

Guests flying in for an event at Olive Gardens can make a short holiday of it. Mdina itself is car free and quiet, with narrow lanes, palazzi and the cathedral, and our Mdina guide covers what to see before or after the big day. A few boutique options sit inside or just outside the walls, and our page on hotels in Mdina is a sensible starting point, although many wedding parties stay on the coast and travel in by coach.

For flight options from British airports see our page on flights to Malta, and check the Malta weather guide before fixing a date: high summer evenings are warm and dry, while spring and autumn are milder for guests who are not used to the heat. Viewings of the gardens are available by appointment, so if you are on the island beforehand it is well worth arranging a visit to see the space in person.