MTV NETWORKS INTERNATIONAL AND MALTESE GOVERNMENT AGREE on a THREE-YEAR PARTNERSHIP FOR ISLE OF MTV SUMMER FESTIVAL
Keep an eye on our unbeatable hotel discounts if you are thinking about coming over to Malta for the free Isle of MTV concert.
MTV Networks International, a division of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), and the Malta Government today announced a partnership that will see Isle of MTV, the hit summer music event, staged in Malta for the next three years, beginning June 2008. The deal builds on the success of the Isle of MTV concert staged on the southern Mediterranean island last summer.
Dr Francis Zammit Dimech, Minister for Tourism and Culture, said: “We are delighted to renew our partnership with MTV. Our lifestyle, climate and natural beauty provide a perfect venue for MTV. This is a unique opportunity to tell young people that Malta truly is a happening island.”
Last summer Akon, Maroon 5 and Enrique Iglesias topped the line-up for the spectacular open-air concert held in the picturesque backdrop of Il-Fosos Square in Floriana, in front of 50,000 people.
For this year’s event in June the Malta Tourism Authority is planning a three-day music festival leading up to the Isle of MTV concert. “The fusion of Malta and MTV produced an incredible feeling for the thousands who attended last year. We want to share this magic with more visitors. Our invitation goes out to all music and party lovers: come join us in Malta in June when MTV comes to town,” said Dr Zammit Dimech.
“We’re delighted to renew our commitment for Isle of MTV. The Government of Malta is looking to reach a very specific youth and music audience. They’ve chosen MTV because our brand resonates so powerfully with our audience. Our brand helps shift perception,” said Kevin Razvi, EVP, MTV Networks International/Viacom Brand Solutions.
Talent line-up and further details for the June 2008 concert, which will be free, will be announced in the spring, but, as part of the campaign, the Isle of MTV concert will be supported by year-round marketing activities. A microsite will host content and two competitions running before and after the show. In addition MTV will run complementary competition and promotional tune-in spots to drive anticipation and awareness of the event and the show across the network. The concert, a mixture of live performance, artist interviews and location settings, will be edited into a 60-minute special to transmit across 20 European MTV channels.
Isle of MTV Malta will be produced by Playmaker, a business unit of MTV Italia producing shows, lives, formats and events. As well as producing last year’s Isle of MTV, Playmaker also produced MTV Day Italy in September 2007 from Milan and Rome as well as the Nickelodeon Italia Kids Choice Awards in December 2007.
Richard Godfrey, SVP, Production and Music, MTV Networks International, said: “Isle of MTV is a great part of Europe’s summer music calendar, and once again we’ll be offering our audience access to the world’s biggest artists in a truly spectacular setting.”
The three islands of Malta are situated at the heart of the Mediterranean and offer an endless list of joys to experience; from meandering through the narrow winding streets of Mdina, to swimming under the stars in the famous Blue Lagoon or diving the spectacular Blue Hole in Gozo, to partying all night in the many nightclubs or simply chilling out, soaking up the sun and watching the world go by. Malta can be reached in less than 3 hours by air from many parts of Europe.
The capital Valletta is a world heritage site and home to some of Europe’s finest works of art, churches and palaces including St John’s Co-Cathedral, the Manoel Theatre and Grandmaster’s Palace, as well as some of the islands’ top restaurants and wine bars.
Isle of MTV is one of the highlights of MTV’s European summer music scene – one of the coolest and most eclectic outdoor live music events. Previously Isle of MTV has taken the form of a multiple-date club tour where famed DJs play in sophisticated venues for Europe’s most discerning clubbers.
The highlight of the tour has traditionally been an open-air main event, often with a celebrity host and always with A-list international music talent entertaining crowds of thousands. Previous performers at the Isle of MTV main event include Snoop Dogg, The Chemical Brothers, Shaggy, Garbage, The Black Eyed Peas, Jazzy Jeff, Gorillaz and Morcheeba.
Past Isle of MTV main event 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).
MTV Networks International includes the premier multimedia entertainment brands MTV: Music Television, VH1, Nickelodeon, TMF (The Music Factory), VIVA, Flux, Paramount Comedy, Comedy Central, Game One and digital properties Gametrailers, Shockwave, XFire, Neopets, AtomFilms and AddictingGames.
MTV Networks' brands are seen globally in 520 million households in 161 countries and 33 languages via 154 locally programmed and operated TV channels and more than 300 digital media properties.
The company's diverse holdings also include interests in television syndication, digital media, publishing, home video, radio, recorded music, licensing & merchandising and two feature film divisions, MTV Films and Nickelodeon Movies. MTV Networks is a unit of Viacom Inc. (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B).