At TRIIP Festival in Malta we hear how the island’s festival industry is thriving thanks largely to the small team at promoter 356 Entertainment.
Few promoters have had as significant an impact on their home nation as 356 Entertainment has had on Malta. With a population of just over half a million, the country enjoys a substantial influx of festival tourists drawn to the promoter’s diverse live events portfolio, which includes Defected, Sunny Side, XXL, SummerDaze, BBC Concert Orchestra, Days Like This (DLT) and TRIIP Festival, which is curated by Australian tech-house DJ FISHER.
While FISHER was unable to perform, TRIIP Festival saw sets by DJs such as Chris Lake, Clooney, Loco Dice, Nic Fanciulli, Solardo, Folamour, TSHA and Eliza Rose who all helped to pull huge crowds to Malta’s Valetta and St. Paul’s Bay.
The festival’s second edition involved and array of venues, including Malta’s largest club UNO (cap. 5,000) along with boat, pool and castle parties.
While Ibiza is notorious for eye-watering drink prices, Malta stands out as a cheaper, attractive alternative for festival tourists, while arguably offering more charm than rival party islands. Along with a blend of cultures and languages being spoken, including Maltese, English and Italian, the heavily fortified island offers UNESCO World Heritage sites for visitors to explore. TRIIP’s final night saw an open-air castle party at the 500-year-old National War Museum – Fort St. Elmo, offering stunning views of Malta’s Grand Harbour.
Attendees wandered past WWII relics into the 4,000-capacity courtyard, where 20-foot inflatable mushrooms surrounded the stage. Sets by LF System and Sonny Fodera under the Maltese sun set the stage for a grand finale at Uno, featuring a ‘triipy’ psychedelic forest theme across two stages.
Economic impact
Last year, 356 Entertainment brought 56,000 visitors to the island during its festival season, creating an economic impact of €51.8 million. This year 356 will host 14 festival experiences and its team of three say they have plans to expand to 20 events next year.
The promoter was founded when long-time partners Trevor Camilleri and Gerry Debono joined forces with Nicholas Spiteri. Under the 356 Entertainment banner, the three directors launched a new festival concept, Annie Mac presents Lost & Found Festival in 2015 that proved to be significantly milestone for the evolution of Malta’s festival tourism business.
“Our collective strength lies in having built Malta’s festival tourism over the past 20 years,” says Camilleri. “Malta is our hub and inspiration – and we are building a legacy for the island to be a world-class festival destination.”
Debono adds, “We are proud to bring in and introduce an array of music genres to the island which appeal to a wide audience, both locally and internationally. The team has established successful flagship events such as SummerDaze, as well as bringing in renowned brands to the island including the likes of Defected, Elrow, DLT and XXL.”
Spiteri concludes, “We are elevating Malta’s cultural and entertainment landscape with innovative and diverse musical experiences, we are not only entertaining but also enriching the island’s global reputation. Our commitment to excellence ensures that Malta remains at the forefront of the festival scene, attracting visitors from all corners of the world.”
