Marsa carnival village will now include 5D theatre and performance space for bands

Plans for the arts and culture community hub, previously known as the carnival village, in Marsa have been revised to include new facilities, including a 5D cinema.

The new plans for the site that housed the former government garage, also include rehearsal studios for bands and dance companies, and a 638sq.m cafeteria.

5D theatres use seat effects and environmental effects to simulate lightning and thunder, wind, frost, rain and snow, and explosion impact. The proposed theatre will have a seating capacity of 616.

In 2016, the Planning Authority had already approved the permit for the construction of a Carnival Experience centre on the same 18,500sq.m site. It was intended to gather under one roof all those works related to carnival, including the building of floats.

The new plans still foresee a museum of carnival performing arts, a parade ground piazza, interactive workshops, carnival costumes workshops and ancillary administration offices and facilities as well as an underground carpark over two levels. But the new development will be constructed over five levels.

The extension of the ‘carnival village’ conceot into a cultural hub follows a decision to earmark a site in Luqa industrial estate for a mosque and Islamic centre. The Planning Authority had approved plans for a cultural hub on the Luqa site, which included performance space and rehearsal spaces for Maltese bands.

Subsequently, a decision was taken to incorporate the rehearsal facilities in the cultural complex in Marsa.

Festivals Malta has transferred the Luqa site to the ministry’s Stores and Maintenance Division, downscaling plans to alter and existing warehouse, to instead provide staff rooms and ancillary facilities to the Islamic community.

The Luqa plot will be entrusted by way of a ‘commodatum’ (temporary possession) to Islamic Solidarity Malta, to continue exercising faith and socio-cultural activities after they vacate the Knights-era Ospizio in Haywharf, which has been used for prayers since 2016 and will form part of the Malta International Contemporary Arts (MICAS) complex.

Archaeological finds

Archaeological monitoring works on the Marsa site identified for the carnival hub have already resulted in the discovery of various rock-cut features including five rock-cut trench-graves.

In its first reaction to the new application, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage warned that there is a “high risk” that excavations may uncover more heritage features that may necessitate amendments to the proposed drawings.