By way of a Legal Notice, the Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government, has established the Festivals Malta Agency.

The agency is to implement the objectives and perform all those functions established to create, maintain, organise, administer and oversee the organisation and implementation of a portfolio of national and international cultural and artistic events, festivals and cultural infrastructural projects.

Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government Owen Bonnici said that this step fully encapsulates the strategy brought forward by this government when it comes to the culture sector. "Through this measure, we are ensuring to provide Festivals Malta with the right tools and enablers, to make it easier for the public to attend festivals and increase participation, audience engagement and outreach. We are also strengthening professionalisation within the sector and furthermore working towards developing the brand and our image internationally as an expanding cultural tourism niche," Minister Owen Bonnici said.

Through this Legal Notice, Festivals Malta, which up till now operated as a brand, will now have a distinct legal personality and will achieve its objectives by performing functions such as providing the right platform to sustain growth and development of the existing festivals portfolio.

Norman Hamilton will be its first chairperson. 

The agency will also deliver levels of excellence in the execution of events and festivals, build on the current festivals and events portfolio by bringing new ideas and innovation, and further dialling up audience engagement and participation, through its functions.

Festivals Malta is also tasked with developing the festivals portfolio into an ongoing creative platform for Maltese and international artists and creative practitioners through the commissioning of new work in partnership with national and international arts organisations and festivals, and whilst also increasing participation locally through outreach activities and develop distinctive strategies for each festival to increase engagement.

The agency will also encourage a national arts and culture calendar, offering a consolidated programme and driving greater synergies, impact and alignment across public and private cultural organisations.