Marco Carola’s Music On has become something close to a religion for those who worship the low end. Since taking over Ibiza in 2012, the brand—and Carola himself—have helped define the blueprint for the meeting point between minimal techno and tech house.
Now, that global force is preparing to make its Maltese debut on 1st August. Taking over the sprawling MFCC before moving to the brand-new Tatel venue at the Hard Rock Hotel complex, the event celebrates some of the most influential names in contemporary house music. Alongside Marco Carola, the line-up features Franky Rizardo, East End Dubs, Ilario Alicante, Mason Collective and Joey Daniel. We sat down with Grego O’Halloran, one of the masterminds behind this ambitious undertaking, to find out what it takes to bring one of Ibiza’s most revered residencies to Maltese shores.
Music On has built a global reputation over the last decade. So, why was now the right time to bring the concept to Malta?
Malta is one of the most vibrant and exciting places for events and music in all of Europe and especially electronic music. There is huge support and encouragement from the government and authorities to broaden Malta’s touristic offering so as to include events like Music On and so it was really just a case of being the right time for this to happen.
For myself and JP, my partner, when you’re dealing with a brand like Music On as well, which Is so well established, there are also not so many places around the world that are actually open as possible destinations. Thankfully, and through preparing a detailed project plan with the Music On team, we’ve been able to make this a reality.
You’ve stayed true to your “It’s all about the music” philosophy since the beginning. What does that quote mean to you today?
I have been lucky enough to know the brand since its birth back in 2012 when it began its residency at Amnesia in Ibiza. I have watched the evolution of the brand and its artists alongside Marco Carola over the years. The core concept remains completely true today. It means a 100% focus on the programming, a very minimal but finely balanced production, and absolutely no cheap gimmicks to win over the audience. We have realized that clubbers do not want distractions. They just want to see their favorite selectors in cool arenas, have a proper dance, and enjoy the music.
People dance for two days but have no idea about the months of bureaucratic and logistical hustle behind the scenes. How far back does the planning go, and what does that process look like?
For this debut, we are hosting the main event at MFCC, which is a massive fairs and convention center in the middle of the island, running from 2:00 PM until 4:00 AM. Then on Sunday, we take over Tatel at the Hard Rock Hotel complex with international guests and some serious surprises.
A project of this scale is a massive undertaking. Music On is extremely selective about who they partner with, so it is only thanks to our decades of experience promoting large-scale events in Ibiza that JP and I were trusted with this opportunity. The actual planning starts a year to eighteen months out. We announced the show just before Christmas and have been working with our production teams ever since to design the site, while simultaneously pushing our marketing globally. As the date approaches, the intensity goes through the roof, but it is all part of the process.
How long does it take to sculpt a bill like this, and what makes an artist a true fit for the Music On family?
Funnily enough, the programming was actually one of the smoother parts of the process because we worked hand-in-hand with the Music On team to curate the perfect lineup for the Maltese crowd. Marco Carola is the obvious anchor, but we were determined to secure two of the hottest names in the scene right now, East End Dubs and Franky Rizardo. Adding Music On regulars like Mason Collective, Ilario Alicante, and Joey Daniel created a perfectly rounded bill, which we completed with our partner Ares Carter and local talent Ant Mifsud.
What is the one aspect of producing an event of this scale that the average crowd completely underestimates?
Honestly, it is the level of micro-detail required to build a show of this magnitude from absolute scratch. Having run thousands of events in Ibiza over the past twenty years, you can easily start taking things like high-fidelity sound systems, security flow, bar infrastructure, and logistics for granted. But when you are executing a massive one-off debut, you realize very quickly that success or failure hangs on the finest possible margins.
Give us one number or statistic that perfectly captures the sheer scale of pulling off Music On Malta.
155,750. That is the exact number of words that went into our extensive project planning proposal to the government just to get this event approved. We did the homework, and we cannot wait to see you all on the floor at MFCC on August 1st.
Ready for the marathon? Don’t let the summer pass you by without witnessing Marco Carola and his circle’s debut in Malta. Lock in your weekend passes and secure your spot on the dance floor at XCEED.
