Isle of MTV will return on 26th July 2007 to Il-Fosos, FLoriana with an impressive lineup, including Akon, Maroon 5 and Enrique Iglesias Take Centre Stage and Malta's own Ira Losco amongst others.

Isle of MTV Summer Music Festival comes to Malta

The highly anticipated music celebration will feature performances from headline International music artists Akon, Maroon 5 and Enrique Iglesias. Maltese pop superstar Ira Losco will complete the line-up as the stars take to the stage to entertain an audience of more than 20,000 revellers in a spectacular open-air concert to be held at the historic Floriana Granaries “Il-Fosos”. In addition, music fans will be given the chance to win an exclusive VIP hospitality package for four to attend the event and meet headline acts via www.isleofmtv.com. MTV’s cameras will capture all the action of Isle of MTV to be broadcast in an hour long live special to MTV’s 166 million homes in Europe from 3rd September 2007.

“We’re thrilled to be able to present Isle of MTV as part of Europe’s summer music calendar. MTV is uniquely positioned to offer MTV audiences exclusive access to the world’s biggest artists and the impressive raft of A-list artists who will take to the stage in Valletta is no exception”, commented Richard Godfrey, SVP, Content & Music, MTV Networks International. “We are looking forward to working with our Maltese partners to showcase the charming capital city to audiences Europe-wide in a one hour television special”.

Dr Francis Zammit Dimech, Minister for Tourism & Culture commented, “We are delighted to welcome MTV to Malta for such a large scale event. Malta's Mediterranean lifestyle, climate and stunning architecture provide a perfect venue for MTV and this is a unique opportunity for us to reach into millions of homes communicating that Malta truly is a happening island… set to become the Isle of MTV for one special night!”.

Senegalese singer Akon made an explosive return to the International music scene  last year with his latest album ‘Konvicted’, the poignant follow-up to his hit debut album ‘Trouble’ which won fans over in 2003. ‘Konvicted’ balances streetwise swagger, studio originality and common sense to create one of the most honest releases of 2006. The energetic hit ‘Smack That’ featuring Eminem became a dance floor filler all over the world. Collaborating with an eclectic array of noted artists including Snoop Dogg and Obie Trice to Gwen Stefani and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Akon’s repertoire of hard-knock stories, inspirational ballads and club anthems are bound to entertain Isle of MTV revellers long into the night.

Grammy and Latin Grammy Award winning artist Enrique Iglesias is currently enjoying a monumental return to the world stage after a three year hiatus which he spent crafting his latest studio album, ‘Insomniac’, due for worldwide release on June 18. The album’s first single is the addictive pop gem ‘Do You Know? (The Ping Pong Song)’ in which a ping-pong ball makes a rare appearance as a percussion instrument. Other album highlights include ‘Push’, a hip-hop flavoured collaboration with rapper Lil’ Wayne and the moody track ‘Tired Of Being Sorry’. Enrique’s previous albums include his self titled Spanish language debut followed by 1997’s ‘Vivir’, which made Enrique the biggest selling Spanish language singer in the world. Released in 1999, his first English language album ‘Enrique’ included mega-hits ‘Bailamos’ (We Dance), ‘Rhythm Divine’ and ‘Could I Have This Kiss Forever’ with Whitney Houston and went double platinum in the US. The album ‘Escape’ came next, which included the hit ‘Hero’ and cemented Enrique’s superstar status in Europe.

Californian soul influenced, pop-rock band Maroon 5 are Adam Levine (lead vocals, guitar), James Valentine (guitar, backing vocals), Jesse Carmichael (keyboards, backing vocals), Mickey Madden (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Matt Flynn (drums). Best known for hit singles ‘Harder To Breathe’, ‘This Love’ and ‘She Will Be Loved’ from their 2002 platinum selling breakthrough debut album ‘Songs About Jane’; Maroon 5 are back with brand new music for the first time in five years. The  worldwide release last month of second album ‘It Won’t Be Soon Before Long’ revealed a louder, sexier and stronger sound than the neo-soul pop sound that characterised their debut, with the band taking inspiration from 80s music icons including Prince, Michael Jackson and Talking Heads. It’s a more upbeat, pounding record mixed with disco beats and chunky guitar riffs, perfect for the Isle of MTV Malta crowd.

Ira Losco has been the best selling artist in Malta for the past three years, having released locally three #1 albums with a string of #1 singles. Debut album, ‘Someone Else’ and second album ‘Accident Prone’ have established Ira as an exciting singer/songwriter with a distinctly powerful voice and captivating stage presence. She is currently working on her new album ‘Fortune Teller’, due for release in December 2007.

MTV is partnering with The Malta Tourism Authority, Air Malta and The Corinthia Palace Hotel to present an exclusive competition for 1 winner and three friends to win a VIP package to attend Isle of MTV Malta. The prize includes backstage passes to meet Akon, Maroon 5 and Enrique Iglesias; flights and accommodation for a minimum of two nights. Fans can log into the Isle of MTV website www.isleofmtv.com and answer a multiple choice question for their chance to win. Additional tickets competitions will be run across local MTV channels, giving 30 lucky viewers a chance to experience Isle of MTV in Malta next month!

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Isle of MTV is one of the highlights of MTV’s European summer music scene – one of the coolest and most eclectic outdoor live music events. Previously Isle of MTV has taken the form of a multiple-date club tour where famed DJs play in sophisticated venues for thousands of Europe’s most discerning clubbers. The highlight of the tour has traditionally been an open-air main event, often with a celebrity host and always with A-list international music talent entertaining crowds of thousands. Previous performers at the Isle of MTV main event include Snoop Dogg, The Chemical Brothers, Shaggy, Garbage, The Black Eyed Peas, Jazzy Jeff, Gorillaz and Morcheeba. Past Isle of MTV main event locations have included Torre de Belém, Lisbon, Portugal (2002), Ile du Gaou, Six-Fours Les Plages, France (2003), Tossa De Mar, Costa Brava, Spain (2004), Piazza dell Unita’ d’Italia, Trieste, Italy (2005).