The Farsons Great Beer Festival is always a great event and attracts a good many people to something that offers just that something a bit different from the norm. All in all, it’s a great night out for youngsters, young couples and even the kids.

Yet the Beer Festival offers something which is even more important and that is the chance for local musicians to showcase their talents on the big stage, with good lighting and great sound. Maltese music is really progressing well. There are a multitude of great bands and artists – Chasing Pandora, Ira, No Snow No Alps, Tribali, Rugg, Fakawi, Winter Moods and many more (it would take far too much space to name them all).

However, it is really unfortunate that they do not really have that many opportunities to strut their stuff. One must get into the music festival psyche to understand the argument. Emerging bands find it hard enough to make the breakthrough – even in the most musician-friendly countries – such as the UK, the US and Ireland, let alone Malta. During music festivals, people come to love or hate bands – the music fever takes over and people buy merchandise such as CDs, tee-shirts and others. This generates much needed funds for new instruments, recording deals, studio time and marketing.

But more than anything, it allows the musician to bond with the crowd, to give them that special moment when they can sing and play their hearts out to the crowd (and a sizeable one at that). We are not saying that there are no events – we have seen the likes of Earthgarden, the Jazz and Rock Festivals, Creamfields and a few others. But the Beer Festival is the “daddy of ‘em all”. It offers a wider cross section for an audience and it has the musical festival feel that so many young Maltese travel abroad for. There are the food stands, the play areas, two different music stages – one of them fairly large by any standard – and a good Mediterranean feel of the summer outdoors.

Perhaps it’s high time to organise a proper Malta Music Festival. It could be organised by the Ministry of Culture in conjunction with the Malta Tourism Authority with various sponsors.

It is clear that the public is crying out for it… and what better idea than to use the Ta’ Qali grounds? The Greek theatre could be utilised too. It could work on the lines of foreign music festivals – major and minor stages, camping areas, vending areas and just a general chilled out musical atmosphere. There could also be art and craft market stalls – surely placing them there would be more suitable than having them lining the streets of Paceville.

In fact, to ensure that everyone gets a slice of the pie (which would obviously include an entrance fee) bar and club owners could be encouraged to set up beer gardens – thus not losing out on the new found market.

Maltese people constantly complain that the island is too small and that the nightlife is repetitive and boring. We are sure that if a Malta Music Festival, featuring as many local bands as possible, were to be organised over a two-week period it would offer benefits for all – more exposure for local artists, something different for the general public and perhaps most of all, increased and more diverse economic activity. All it takes is to try it once and see how it goes.