PERSONS attending the Jamaica 50 Grand Gala at the National Stadium in St Andrew on Independence Day — August 6 — are being encouraged to wear gold to the signature event.

The call is from Lenford Salmon — producer of this year's grand gala — who adds that the 30,000 persons expected to fill the National Stadium will become part of a pageant entitled Tributes in Gold.

He explained that the audience in the stands will be brought into the cast of the production, and therefore he is encouraging everyone to wear yellow to create a "sea of gold".

"The production will seek to highlight Jamaica's golden achievement over the past 50 years in a three-and-a-half-hour presentation. This can best be described as a mass musical epic with the entire potpourri of Jamaican culture on show featuring 3,000 performers and 1,500 costumed participants," Salmon said.

This year, there will be no Independence Day parade at King's House and, therefore, the pomp and pageantry usually associated with this event will be incorporated into the Grand Gala in the form of a ceremonial prelude featuring marching bands and uniformed groups inside the stadium.

According to Salmon, Tributes in Gold will be staged in three acts. The first is 'Eternal Father Bless our Land' and seeks to give thanks in praise and worship for guiding Jamaica through the past 50 years of independence.

The second act — Natural Mystic — will focus on the contribution of the visual and performing arts to Jamaica's development. While the third and final piece will look to the future, with the younger generation projecting the next 50 years.

Salmon noted that the event will close with a huge fireworks display.

The Grand Gala, as well as events from 13 other locations and the Olympic Games in London will be broadcast to Jamaicans on big screens in parish capitals.

Meanwhile, the Jamaica 50 secretariat in association with the Jamaica Urban Transit Company (JUTC) will be instituting a park and ride policy. Patrons are being encouraged to utilise secure parking at Jamaica College, King's House and Up Park Camp and take the designated shuttle buses to the event.