MTV's Malta (Events)
The Isle of MTV is a live music event that's been developing since 2002. After attending the nascent shows Sat Bal sees how this MTV property has evolved in 2008.
The Event
The Isle of MTV live outdoor music event in Malta on 25 June '08, MTV Networks International (MTVNI) took place at the imposing Il-Fosos Square in Floriana in front of 40,000 people.
Previous performers at Isle of MTV include Snoop Dogg, The Chemical Brothers, Shaggy, The Black Eyed Peas, Gorillaz and Morcheeba. Past Isle of MTV locations have included Torre de Belém, Lisbon, Portugal (2002), Ile du Gaou, Six-Fours Les Plages, France (2003), Tossa De Mar, Costa Brava, Spain (2004), Piazza dell Unita’ d’Italia, Trieste, Italy (2005), Floriana, Malta (2007).
Who performed?
The Kooks, OneRepublic, N*E*R*D and Enrique Iglesias headlined at Malta.
Following their support slot with The Rolling Stones, The Kooks second album, Konk, was released in April and hit #1 in the UK album charts.
OneRepublic’s first single, Apologize, was remixed by Timbaland to become a Top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US for ten consecutive weeks.
N*E*R*D's third album, Seeing Sounds meshes booming hip-hop beats rock riffs and soul music as amplified by the style
and attitudes that have made Pharrell Williams (headline picture),
Chad Hugo and Shae cultural icons.
Enrique Iglesias (pictured above) made a triumphant return to Isle of MTV Malta after rave reviews for his performance at last year’s event. The Madrid-born, Miami-raised singer has sold 40 million albums in little over a decade and his latest album is entitled Insomniac.
New York's Lady GaGa also made Malta move with the dance-pop, electro and rock confection espoused by current album, The Fame.
Isle of MTV Malta stage
What they said:“MTV is uniquely positioned to offer our audiences exclusive access to the world’s biggest and best new and established artists and we’re thrilled to be able to announce such a powerful line-up for what promises to be this summers must-see music event. For MTV, this is a great opportunity to work with a partner to produce and host the Isle of MTV summer music festival on an incredible island location, which is both exciting and accessible. It’s a great venue to offer our viewers some of the world’s biggest international artists.” Richard Godfrey, SVP, Content & Music, MTV Networks International
“The Malta Music Week and the Isle of MTV Malta combined have made the Maltese Islands one of the most happening places in Europe this summer.” Dr. de Marco, Maltese Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism
“We enjoyed playing such an amazing venue, and at an event that has a history of producing great performances from top artists.” Ryan Tedder, OneRepublic
What's next?
MTVNI has announced a three-year deal with the Maltese Government to stage the hit event in Malta.