The first edition of the Mediterranean Stars Festival will be held on Friday 4th October at The Granaries in Floriana, Malta. This Festival is being produced by the Mediterranean Tourism Foundation in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority, Air Malta and The Ministry for Tourism. WEC World Entertainment Company will be handling the executive production of the event. Various singers from the Mediterranean Region will be joined by the acts of Radio Italia Live – Il Concerto with an incredible line-up made up of Italy’s best talent performing on the night.

In fact, Alessandra Amoroso, Gigi D’Alessio, Elisa, Francesco Gabbani, Guè Pequeno, J-Ax, Mahmood, Max Pezzali, Raf, Umberto Tozzi, Boomdabash, together with Ira Losco, The Travellers, and Cheb Khaled from Algeria, who is one of the best placed ambassadors for the fusion between the Mediterranean Traditional Sounds and European pop, will all be forming part of this special concert. Moreover, Maltese artists Nicole Frendo, and Red Electrik will be warming up the crowd in a special pre-concert.

The Mediterranean Stars Festival aims to be more than just a fun-filled concert. The Festival seeks to contribute to the revival of the Mediterranean Identity, by creating opportunities for collaboration and interaction between the different countries that overlook it through tourism and cultural events. 

“There are a number of common ambitions and challenges among the Mediterranean countries and we all stand to gain from closer economic relations and relationsin the tourism sector,” said Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi. “The Mediterranean countries do not compete only among themselves but must also face an increasingly strong competition with the rest of the world. It is therefore vitally important that they work together to increase efficiency and competitiveness. It is equally important to forge strategic alliances to jointly create marketing initiatives to maintain a high competitive level and consolidate a strong position in the global tourism market. "

This is why the Mediterranean Stars Festival will not be the only event organized for tourists who will come to Malta to attend the concert on October 4th. In fact, many other activities and events will be set up – activities which will turn the whole weekend into a unique experience.

On Saturday 5 October in Valletta there will be the Notte Bianca, with activities and museums open until late at night.  

The Co-Founder and Secretary General of the Mediterranean Tourism Foundation, Andrew Agius Muscat, emphasized that the "Mediterranean Stars Festival stems from the desire to use music as a tool to bring people together, to promote peace and to strengthen a common Mediterranean identity. It is undeniable that music is a universal language, a powerful means that unites peoples. Music is also culture and culture is the fundamental element of all the events that create memorable experiences, the main stimulus of modern tourism.”

The Mediterranean area is considered the cradle of civilizations and cultures, attracting more than a third of international tourism. Mediterranean music with its unique characteristics has influenced the international music scene not only in terms of genres such as opera, but also through the success of important artists such as Luciano Pavarotti, Frank Sinatra, Madonna, Tarkan, Cheb Khaled, etc.

“The aim of the Mediterranean Stars Festival is to become the main event for Mediterranean music for both established and emerging singers and musicians with a strong artistic bond with the area, Agius Muscat said.

Similar to the RadioItalia concerts in Milan and Palermo in 2019, each artist will be accompanied by the Mediterranean Orchestra conducted by Maestro Bruno Santori, who will also be in charge of the artistic direction of the festival. 

The Mediterranean Orchestra was founded in 2016 as an initiative of the Mediterranean Tourism Foundation and brings together expert musicians from all over the Mediterranean. The objective of the Mediterranean Orchestra is to promote the Mediterranean identity throughout the world by using music, a universal language that helps to bridge the differences between people. The repertoire is very versatile and ranges from classical to pop, from jazz to sacred music. The structure of the orchestra is extraordinarily flexible and under the permanent guidance of Maestro Santori, it is able to expand from the repertoire of concerts to projects involving a large symphony orchestra enriched with elements from other established orchestras. 

The artistic and musical direction of the Mediterranean Orchestra has been entrusted to the international orchestra conductor Maestro Bruno Santori who, since the beginning, has given the ensemble a characteristic sound, modeled on its peculiarities and on the spirit that continues the generation of excellent and expert musicians from all over the Mediterranean who gave life to the orchestra. 

"I hope that this Orchestra will never set limits of any kind,” said Santori. “I hope that it is open to all cultures and that it leads to the creation of a unique musical identity made up of multiple experiences and skills."