Entertainment industry professionals are gearing up for a jam-packed summer full of events, yet are cautiously wary of the challenges they face, following two years of cancelled and postponed events because of COVID-19.
“I think the entertainment industry is going to face a bit of a ‘boom’, and it will be a very strong summer,” Gianpula clubbing village owner Matthew Degiorgio told Times of Malta. “After two years of COVID, people are reacting strongly to the events we are organising, and the summer looks like a positive one,” he said.
Entertainment venues were forced to shut their doors in 2020, and operators and workers were left with no choice but to put their livelihoods on hold. Operators were given the green light to organise events last summer, but only if they abided by strict rules, such as capping the number of attendees and only allowing fully vaccinated people. After a spike in cases back in December, dozens of events were cancelled.
With all restrictions dropped, the calendar is now full of festivals, events and parties.
One festival that will make a return to Ta’ Qali next month after a two-year interruption is Earth Garden. Celebrating its 15-year anniversary, the festival will take place from June 3 to 5, and organiser Keith Howard Debono said he is “ecstatic” to be back organising mass events, but equally anxious. “We are entering this new unprecedented phase where we will start to really get a better idea of the havoc COVID has caused for events,” he said.
While professionals feel positive for the summer, Debono said Malta took too long to announce the ease of restrictions, resulting in a loss of audience attendees. “I predict a possible 30% recoupment this year in terms of what has been lost during the pandemic by most people full-time and professional people in our industry,” he said. “Unless something drastic changes to ensure a level playing field, fund distribution, a complete change in mentality to look at the gaps in the tourism market and add more value to arts, culture and indigenous products, our industry is going to have several other victims in the years to follow.”
Festivals Malta director Annabelle Stivala described the situation as a “breath of fresh air” for the creative sector. “While Festivals Malta was still proactive during the pandemic by producing abridged and digital festivals, these cannot compare with fully-fledged festival programmes.”
Festivals Malta has 75 events planned over four festivals between May and the end of summer, along with the likes of a music festival celebrating Mediterranean folk music, a jazz festival and a dance festival.
After a two-year hiatus, the Farsons Beer Festival is back for its 40th edition, and will span 10 days at Ta’ Qali. Adriana Lupo, Farsons’ business support manager, said she now faces a “stricter deadline”. “We usually start preparing the beer fest in November, but at the time we did not know if festivals would take place, especially after two years of absence,” she said. “The reactions we have received have been positive. People want to come to the festival, enjoy local talent and a nice cool beer or two,” she said.
Her comments were echoed by a spokesperson for Glitch Festival, another festival that was cancelled twice during the pandemic. “Events take months and years to plan, so we can’t just decide to open overnight. We are facing a lot of challenges with tighter timeframes impacting production and logistics,” the spokesman said. Despite this, he said Glitch Festival is experiencing a positive increase in bookings, which should even increase with the arrival of tourists.
Operators working in the entertainment industry agreed that the pandemic led to staff shortages.
The Glitch spokesperson said suppliers across the world have lost key people due to the pandemic, and the negative impact could last for years. “Our industry was one of the hardest hit. It will take years to recoup the losses, even though 2022 is looking good, it will not be enough.”
Our industry was one of the hardest hit. It will take years to recoup the losses
Gianpula’s Degiorgio pointed out that while operators are also dealing with food and beverage price increases, the biggest impact is staffing. “Finding staff, bartenders, cleaners and chefs has become problematic and is an issue all the hospitality and entertainment industry is facing.”
Lupo from Farsons said since there were no large-scale events for the past two years, certain contractors are now committed to other business for which demand arose due to COVID-19, and thus could not commit to the Beer Festival this year. Replacements have now been found.