Taxpayers forking out €2.5 million for tonight’s Isle of MTV… but ‘it’s free’

Maltese taxpayers are footing a €2.5 million bill for tonight’s Isle of MTV concert under a three-year agreement signed by the government in 2025 with Viacom International Media Networks, represented locally by G7 Events, The Shift has learned.

The figure, revealed for the first time, sheds light on the true public cost of one of Malta’s flagship summer events, whose financial details have remained largely hidden from public scrutiny despite the concert having become a fixture on the island’s summer calendar.

The latest agreement, entered into last year, secures the continuation of the annual concert for three years and covers Malta’s partnership with the global MTV brand, as well as production and related promotional commitments.

While the €2.5 million price tag is substantial, particularly at a time when the country is still struggling to guarantee a reliable basic electricity supply, the arrangement stands in sharp contrast to the government’s latest policy of subsidising privately organised commercial concerts.

Earlier this month, The Shift reported that taxpayers will spend almost €10 million through the so-called Large Scale Events Support Scheme, administered by the Office of the Prime Minister, to underwrite concerts by international artists, including Paul McCartney, Bruno Mars, Mariah Carey, Lionel Richie, Michael Bublé, and Pitbull.

Unlike Isle of MTV, however, those concerts remain commercial ventures.

Concertgoers will still be required to purchase tickets. At the same time, the private promoters receiving government grants – including former PN TV executive Anton Attard, Minister Rosianne Cutajar’s partner Daniel Farrugia, Love Island television producer Ben Camille and 356 Entertainment – will retain the commercial revenues generated through ticket sales, sponsorships, VIP packages and other income streams.

Several of these same promoters were closely involved in Labour’s most recent electoral campaign under the guidance of Film Commissioner Johann Grech, notorious for being allowed millions in spending sprees with public funds.

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the Isle of MTV concert at the Floriana Granaries tonight, featuring Katy Perry, Afrojack and local artist AIDAN.

For years, the Malta Tourism Authority has justified its investment in Isle of MTV as a tourism marketing initiative, arguing that the event promotes Malta internationally through MTV’s global television and digital platforms while attracting overseas visitors to the island.

Yet MTA sources told The Shift that whether that marketing value continues to justify such a substantial public investment in an era dominated by streaming platforms and social media has never been independently assessed or publicly quantified.

The contrast is also evident when compared with the government’s other long-running sponsorship of tenor Joseph Calleja’s annual concerts.

When Labour first began financing Calleja’s summer performances, the government justified the expenditure by insisting taxpayers would receive a free public concert through a large standing area at the venue.

Over time, however, that free public access disappeared while government sponsorship continued. Concertgoers were required to purchase expensive tickets, yet taxpayers continued subsidising the event. No details have ever been published showing how many millions of euro in public funds were ultimately channelled into the tenor’s concerts over the years, despite freedom of information requests filed by The Shift.

The latest financial commitment for private concerts is also raising wider questions about the government’s growing expenditure on major entertainment events while other pressing priorities, including investment in infrastructure, the electricity network and health services, continue to demand substantial public funding.

With almost €10 million already committed to subsidising private concerts under the Large-Scale Events Support Scheme and a further €2.5 million allocated to Isle of MTV, public expenditure on headline music events has reached unprecedented levels.