Due to the rising number of Covid-19 cases and the directives issued by the health authorities, this years edition of Rockestra will not be held, the President of Malta has announced.
The decision was taken by the Office of the President together with the Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation (MCCFF) after discussions about the situation took place. Rockestra normally collects funds for those in need.
The President urged everyone to follow the health authorities’ directives and advice and to those who can, to contribute to the MCCFF.
The announcement came after The Malta Independent published that it did not receive any reply on whether this year's edition will take place, despite multiple attempts.
Rockestra is a rock concert by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, much anticipated by the thousands of locals and foreigners who attend this annual activity. This year would mark the 12th edition of this event.
The event is organised by the Malta Community Chest Fund which falls under the remit of the Office of the President.
Following a rise in COVID-19 cases due to several mass events that took place over the past month, this newsroom asked the Office of the President if this rock concert is still planned to take place, despite warnings from health authorities on mass events and restrictions on such events being imposed.
No answer was forthcoming, however the statement published by the Office of the President confirms that the event has been cancelled.
Notably, on 1 August, the Office of the President hosted the August Moon Ball at the Verdala Palace; a sit-down dinner also aimed at raising funds for the Malta Community Chest Fund. This was held just 2 days after the government reintroduced some restrictive measures for events.
This ball is usually much advertised on its dedicated Facebook page, however no photos were posted this time round. Questions made by MaltaToday to the President himself on whether it was appropriate for the ball to be held after the new directives were released were also left unanswered.