Noma Island is not welcome in Sliema’s waters, mayor says

Sliema Mayor John Pillow has warned against the floating beach club Noma Island operating in the locality's waters, calling Sliema "a residential community, not an offshore party.”

Pillow added that no official location for the platform has yet been indicated, but said he wanted to make his position clear from the outset. He cited heavy pressure on the area from maritime traffic, noise, and environmental impact, and said residents must come first.

"Let me be clear: any floating party platform has no place in Sliema's waters," Pillow wrote. "Sliema's harbour and coastline are not suitable locations for a floating entertainment platform designed to host hundreds of guests."

In a Facebook post on Thursday, John Pillow said he would place the matter on the agenda of the Sliema Local Council meeting on 26 March, where he will ask councillors to back a clear position against the platform using Sliema's waters or foreshore.

Noma Island is a 1,750-square-metre floating recreational platform built as a motorised trimaran-style vessel. It has two large decks housing a restaurant, a bar-lounge, and a freshwater swimming pool, and can accommodate up to 350 guests arriving by private yacht or speedboat shuttle from shore. The platform is marketing itself as Malta's "fourth island."

Transport Malta confirmed to MaltaToday that the vessel holds a commercial vessel operator licence in Maltese waters, has been issued a provisional registry, and has undergone the standard licensing process. It can operate where authorised, weather permitting, but cannot carry passengers while moving and is limited to static charters at anchor.

This isn't the platform's first attempt at a Mediterranean project. Designed by Fijian Tony Philp and French Marc Audineau, it aimed to establish Canua Island on the French Riviera in spring 2023. The project met resistance from environmental groups, which gathered 20,000 signatures. The regional president described it as "devoid of common sense," while France's ecological minister expressed concern about the posidonia seagrass beds.

The French government refused permits in June 2023, but an administrative court later ruled in the founders' favour. The platform operated for one summer before being sold.

The vessel was later seen off Corsica and Sardinia before arriving in Malta, where it was rebranded as Noma Island.