Lady Gaga back for next Isle of MTV concert

Internationally acclaimed artists Black Eyed Peas and Metro Station, dance diva Lady Gaga and budding singer-songwriter Esmée Denters will be performing during this year's Isle of MTV concert.

The line-up is expected to attract an audience of 50,000 who will no doubt be jumping to the beat during the third Malta edition of the Isle of MTV concert at the Floriana granaries on July 8.

The concert will be the grand finale to the Malta Music Week, starting on July 3, which will include a variety of concerts and parties.

Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism Mario de Marco said the Isle of MTV concert helped attract young tourists to Malta and promote the island.

After the first Isle of MTV concert in 2007, a three-year agreement with MTV, that ends next year, was signed and this helped make the island more attractive to the younger generation, he said.

A survey carried out after last year's concert showed that 41 per cent of tourists interviewed said the concert was a deciding factor in their picking Malta as their destination, Dr de Marco said.

The survey, he said, also showed that 99 per cent said Malta exceeded their expectations and 80 per cent found that hosting the Isle of MTV made Malta "more cool".

This year's line-up will include an array of music to suit different tastes. The Black Eyed Peas are one of the world's most successful recording bands, gaining global recognition for their breakout album Elephunk and the singles Where is the Love? and Shut Up. The band will perform tracks from their fifth studio album, The End, due for release in June and which includes the single Boom Boom Pow.

The Los Angeles band Metro Station will be bringing their energetic electronic dance-pop to Malta after their first single, Shake It, become a Top 10 hit across Europe.

Lady Gaga will be returning to perform during the MTV concert. Since last year's performance, the 22-year-old's career has really taken off with songs such as Poker Face and Just Dance that have topped the charts.

This year also presents 20-year-old Dutch singer Esmée Denters who is climbing the ladder to stardom and is being seen as the next Lady Gaga.

Malta Tourism Authority chief executive officer Josef Formosa Gauci said now the line-up was public the authority could start promoting the event in various countries.

The authority will also be promoting packages that include flights, accommodation and tickets to the Malta Music Weekend (details of which will be announced at a later stage), advertising the event through social networking sites and encouraging foreign journalists to visit Malta before and during the event.

www.isleofmtv.com.