Tents up as Owen Bonnici misses 13th carnival village deadline

Thirteen years after the government first promised a dedicated Carnival Village in Marsa, massive temporary tents have once again been erected on rented land, at a cost running into tens of thousands of euro to fill the void left by unfulfilled commitments.

The temporary structures erected in Marsa to accommodate carnival-related activities have become the most visible feature of a project that has long been announced but not yet constructed. Over the years, significant sums have reportedly been spent on interim facilities while the permanent development remains stalled.

The latest tents were supplied by Carmel Magro of TEC Ltd, a company associated with providing equipment to the Labour Party during electoral campaigns. The procurement also includes the rental of land from the beleaguered Mediterranean Maritime Hub (the former Malta Shipbuilding) through a direct order.

No comprehensive public breakdown has been published detailing the total expenditure on temporary arrangements or the criteria used to select suppliers.

The promise of a Marsa Carnival Village dates back to 2013, when Labour pledged to provide float builders, costume designers, dancers and musicians with purpose-built facilities to replace the unsuitable industrial spaces many had long occupied, mostly illegally.

In 2016, the Planning Authority approved plans for a dedicated complex in Albert Town, Marsa. The project was presented as imminent, with carnival groups told that construction would begin shortly. It did not.

Instead, the proposal was expanded and rebranded as a Cultural Hub, incorporating theatres, studios and multimedia facilities alongside carnival workshops. Subsequent announcements followed, stating funding secured through EU funds, which were later lost due to delays in project start.

Each carnival season was accompanied by renewed assurances, with the latest made by Prime Minister Robert Abela only a few weeks ago, insisting that contracts for the Marsa hub have finally been signed and that construction will “start soon”.

He described the development as “long-awaited” and framed it as a key investment in Malta’s cultural sector.

A visit to the project site by The Shift in Albert Town shows that not even a stone has been laid.

Culture Minister Owen Bonnici has overseen the ‘project’ throughout its various iterations. Over the past decade, deadlines have repeatedly shifted, while the physical site has remained unchanged.

In the meantime, carnival organisers, many of whom devote months of unpaid work to one of Malta’s largest annual cultural events, continue to operate in temporary conditions. Many told The Shift they had lost hope that Minister Owen Bonnici would ever deliver.