The 3,000-plus patrons who sat enthralled at the Jose Carreras concert in Palace Square on Friday evening were helping Malta discover a unique and hitherto untapped concert venue – Palace Square itself.

With the stage set against The Palace’s façade, and with the careful use of light and colour, this made a hugely positive surprise from the square’s ‘normal’ use as a parking lot plus the tang of horse urine at its most important corner.

It is to be hoped this will not be the first and only use of the square for such concerts. The acoustics are excellent and the seating is very adequate for a performance such as Friday’s.

But, since this is Malta, the throngs of patrons walking along Republic Street just a short time before the beginning of the concert were regaled with the sight of two, not one, refuse trucks smack in the middle of Republic Street, one near the National Museum and the other even nearer, in front of the Law Courts, to the shocked comments from the many patrons of the concert.

Equally surprising was the sparse opportunity for post-concert dining at the many restaurants as only a few chose to remain open.