Music Festival Reggae Sumfest Returns To Jamaica This July

Last Updated 2 years ago

Tickets are now on sale for this year’s Reggae Sumfest music festival in Montego Bay. Music lovers are thrilled over the return of the largest music festival in Jamaica and the rest of the Caribbean. This event has occurred every year in mid-July since 1993, excluding the past two years due to the global pandemic. The event, which was last held in 2019, returns to Montego Bay on July 18^th-23^rd. Reggae Sumfest’s executive producer and CEO Joe Bogdanovich made the announcement.

“Although we got off to a late start due to the continued uncertainties surrounding COVID-19, once the decision was made, the team pulled out all the stops to get things moving. We have plans in place and are confident that we will produce an even better show than 2019, which we can all agree was an outstanding performance,” Bogdanovich said.

Reggae Sumfest tickets will be available online and at select locations in Jamaica. Fans can purchase their tickets through the festival website or at El Paso and Pier 1 in Montego Bay, Hardware & Lumber branches, and select Fontana pharmacies. According to Bogdanovich, ticketing is a crucial part of the festival experience. That is why Sumfest has decided to join many other festivals around the world to make tickets digital. With almost everyone in Jamaica having a cellphone, they believe that the time is suitable for the festival to move to the next level of accessibility.

This year’s Reggae Sumfest will feature four nights of events, beginning with the Sumfest Street Dance on Monday, July 18^th. This will be followed by Sumfest All White on Tuesday, July 19^th. On Wednesday, July 20^th, fans can enjoy Sumfest Blitz. Following this will be Sumfest Global Sound Clash on Thursday, July 21^st. The Catherine Hall Entertainment Centre will then host live stage performances on Friday, July 22^nd, and Saturday, July 23^rd. This year there will be five levels of tickets for the two-night festival, including General Admission, VIP, VIP Center Stage, Ultra VIP seats, and an Ultra Lux Lounge.

“We have created different areas within the venue to provide experiences for all patrons, from those who want to enjoy the show up close, front and center and would purchase a center stage ticket, for example, to those who want the ultimate luxury experience, who will purchase the Ultra Lux Lounge armband, which will be pre-sold only,” shared Director of DownSound Entertainment, Barrington Daley.

Daley continued by saying that the Sumfest audience has not only grown in numbers but also diversity. Therefore, the team has had to adjust the design of the venue to accommodate everyone comfortably and efficiently. In addition, several sponsors use Reggae Sumfest as a way to thank and reward their loyal customers, who usually opt for a more luxurious experience.

Montego Bay, Jamaica – June 06 2015: Diverse ethnicity of arriving passengers at Arrivals in the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

People from all over the world come to Jamaica for Sumfest, and bookings for Airbnbs and hotels in the area are starting to pick up. Visitors interested in attending are encouraged to arrange their accommodation and travel quickly, as high demand for flights and accommodations is sure to drive up prices. The country’s Airbnb sector is already seeing a steady level of bookings for the times surrounding the event.

Sherie-Ann Anderson, president of the Jamaica Home Sharing Association, has said many of the Airbnbs in Montego Bay and areas in the vicinity are already booked for the event, and that the sector has always profited from the Reggae Sumfest. “Reggae Sumfest is an authentic Jamaican experience; some tourists expand on that by booking an authentic stay in an Airbnb property,” said Anderson.

For those interested in purchasing tickets, doing so in advance will be cheaper than waiting to buy at the door. Tickets for the main events on Friday and Saturday range in price from $60 USD for a general admission ticket bought in advance to $2400 USD for Lux Lounge Tables for four bought in advance. Note that any ticket level above general admission will require a purchase in advance as space is limited.