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Following the successful outcome of the Notte Bianca, Lejl Imdawwwal all-nighter, the Ministry for Tourism and Culture is now holding discussions with a private company with the aim of organising a New Year’s Eve event in Valletta.
This was revealed by Minister Francis Zammit Dimech who has however insisted it is still too early to divulge details on the nature of the event.
Malta is one of the few countries in the world where the arrival of the New Year is not celebrated by a public event. So far, most New Year celebrations taking place in private establishments take the form of open bars and are characterised by binge drinking.
In most other capitals the New Year is welcomed by thousands of people who throng in public squares like Time Square in New York and Trafalgar Square in London. Yet the prospective New Year celebration will not be marketed as a “notte bianca”, the minister said. “By definition the Notte Bianca should be regarded as an annual, at most bi-annual event,” Zammit Dimech told MaltaToday.
But following the success achieved two weeks ago, the minister is committed to organise another Notte Bianca next year. The Ministry is also conducting a survey among people who attended as well as among those who did not attend to assess better the strengths and areas calling for improvement. The government has recently issued a legal notice authorising shops to open late at night during cultural, social and commercial events.
jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt
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