KINGSTON, Jamaica — This year’s 24th staging of Jamaica’s Reggae Sumfest will be introducing live 360-degree virtual reality streaming for the public, including fans abroad, to experience the festival on any device over the internet via: www.reggaesumfest.com/.

New franchise owner, businessman Joe Bogdanovich, says that this is among the changes this year which fans have been expecting for a longtime.

“We really want to focus on providing a great experience from start to finish for patrons, and this year we decided we want to give local acts the opportunity to entertain, an authentic reggae/dancehall experience fans have wanted for the longest while,” Bogdanovich, says. Reggae Sumfest will be held from July 17 – 23 when thousands of reggae music fans converge in tourist capital Montego Bay.

The revamped weeklong music festival dubbed the “Greatest Reggae Show on Earth,” will feature beach parties and a performances line up of locally and internationally acclaimed Jamaican Reggae and Dancehall acts. Minister of Tourism, Edmund Bartlett, has lauded the show’s contribution to the tourism sector.

“Every year Reggae Sumfest attracts thousands of tourists who come to enjoy one of the world’s most popular genre of music. Their presence contributes to the economy and strengthens brand Jamaica’s influence here and abroad,” says Bartlett Reggae Sumfest will kick off on Sunday, July 17 with a Sumfest Beach Party at the Aqua Sol Theme Park, followed by the All-White Partyon Tuesday, July 19 at Pier 1.

This year’s staging will also have two concert nights and see the introduction of ‘Sound Explosion’ on Thursday, July 21 at Pier 1. Sound Explosion will have sounds systems Stone Love, Black Kat, Firelinks and Tony Matterhorn spin the biggest hits of yester-year.

Dancehall night will take place on Friday, July 22, 2016 at Catherine Hall and will be headlined by Beenie Man, Assassin, Spice, Popcaan and I’Octane. The show will conclude on Saturday, July 23 with Reggae Night featuring megastars Barrington Levy, Sanchez, Busy Signal, Tarrus Riley, and others.

Balford Henry