Two more Valletta streets have been added to a controversial new law that allows music to be played outdoors until 1am - just as a group of residents protested against the time extension and the local council proposed changes.

On Monday, Archbishop Street and St Ursola Street were added to the list, which, from last week, also includes Merchants, Old Bakery, Old Theatre, Republic, South, St Lucia and Strait streets.

They will all allow establishments located in these areas to continue playing music at a 'moderate level' outdoors after 11pm.

Asked whether the legal notice would be revised in view of the reaction, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said a compromise would have to be found.

"This is a legal notice that came after discussions, " he said.

"We can sit down and continue to discuss this, but the fact is that we had several tourists who expressed a desire to go out for a drink in the capital city after having gone out to eat. 

"I understand the residents, so maybe we can have a look on the way forward.

"What is certain is that Valletta is not going to turn into Paceville or some other entertainment mecca, that is not something we are going to tolerate."

The streets where music can now be played until 1am. Graphic: Christian Busuttil/Design Studio

Faced with the reaction of other business owners, who feared the capital city would be turned into rowdy Paceville, and residents fighting for the right to a night's rest, Valletta mayor Alfred Zammit broke his silence on Tuesday, saying the law should only apply at weekends.

Zammit also said he would lobby for DJs to be banned, the word ‘moderate’ to be clearly defined, and insisted the local council would defend residents against anyone breaking the law.

But instead of toning it down in favour of angry residents, the amendments to the Business Hours Regulations increase the areas where music can be played until the early hours.

Since the legal notice was issued, boutique hotel and high-end apartment owners, who have invested heftily in their properties to attract a particular clientele, expressed concern that Valletta risks damaging its reputation.  

A necessary change?

Valletta's Strait street has become a nightlife destination. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Meanwhile, Andrei Imbroll, chairman of the VBL Group, which owns and operates a whole spectrum of accommodation and catering establishments in the capital said it should be welcomed.

VBL are also landlords of bars, restaurants and office space, covering a wide range of the Valletta market.

“In reality, this is a change back to what Valletta originally was – a vibrant capital city of a European country,” he said, adding it has become a “nightlife hub” for locals and tourists alike in the last few years.

Imbroll, however, differentiated between nightlife in the capital and in Paceville, maintaining it would never be the same. The physical characteristics of the city, the people who frequent it and the prices of consumption ensure that the nightlife is of a different nature, he insisted.

“We had a situation where between 11pm and 1am, everyone was being told to go home, with police telling bars to switch off all kinds of music and patrons indirectly being intimidated into leaving. It was an unbelievable situation in a European country in 2022.”

Imbroll believed it was, therefore, a necessary change for Malta to have a nightlife destination of quality. Attention to residents should be of “utmost priority”, he continued, and one did not exclude the other.

He said that control of sound levels should be a top priority, along with the quality and style of music being played, as well as other factors that impact residents’ lives, such as garbage collection, parking and safety.

VBL has always insisted on Valletta remaining a living city and not just a museum, the chairman said.

The authorities, in particular tourism-related, were understanding the evolving market and reacting to this change.