The Floriana Granaries will once again play host to partygoers this July, as the Isle of MTV concert is set to make a comeback on July 19.
The 14th edition of the largest free festival in Europe will be headlined by the enigmatic masked DJ Marshmello, Malta Tourism Authority chair Gavin Gulia announced in a press conference on Friday.
“Now that mass events have been happening since September with public health protocols in place, we are very happy to be able to welcome people to this festival again in a way that allows people to enjoy themselves with their mind at ease,” he said.
Backed by the Ministry for Tourism and G7 events, the event will be broadcast on the MTV network in 180 countries as well on social media to an audience of over 100 million followers online.
Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said that the return of the event was a sign that things are improving for the entertainment sector after the hardships faced during the pandemic.
“Thai certainly gives us a positive feeling that the more time is passing the closer we are to returning to normality,” Bartolo said.
“Part of our strategy to continue attracting tourists to Malta is to host events such as this one. We want to strengthen our image and marketing efforts overseas as the tourism sector continues to recover from the pandemic.”
Bartolo added that the government was aware that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was creating uncertainty in the industry and assured stakeholders that it would ensure stability for the sector in the coming months.
Producer of viral hits like "Happier", "Friends", "Alone" and "Wolves", Marshmello earned his first Grammy nomination in 2021 for his fourth album "Shockwave" and has even hosted virtual concerts in the popular battle royale game Fortnite.
“I am stoked live events are back and I can’t wait to hit the Isle of MTV Malta stage for the first time to perform in front of a high-energy crowd in such a beautiful location,” Marshmello said in a statement to MTV.
“It’s going to be epic!”
Previous Isle of MTV headliners included Lady Gaga, Snoop Dogg, David Guetta and Maroon 5.