ANOTHER event on the island’s entertainment calendar is being forced to go virtual in light of the current COVID-19 pandemic.

Reggae Sunsplash, the island’s original multiple-day music festival, will be staged virtually on November 27 and 28.

The organisers of the event are guarding the line-up for the festival at this time but event producer Debbie Bissoon told the Jamaica Observer that the decision to go ahead with a virtual format was taken based on positive feedback from sponsors as well as the public in general.

“When we look at the fact that due to the pandemic the entertainment calendar has basically been shut down we decided to give the audience something to celebrate, as well as to just claim this time of year for the festival so that moving forward it will become part of the calendar of activities for this time of year,” she said.

In a statement released to the media, executive producer of Reggae Sunsplash Tyrone Wilson noted that his organisation was grateful to still be able to offer the Reggae Sunsplash experience to the world despite the pandemic.

“We hope that through this unique performance package that we have created, fans of Reggae Sunsplash all over the world will be able to enjoy. This is a historical and iconic brand that helped to birth Jamaica’s Music Festival Economy. Our main aim at iCreate is to aid in the development of the digital and creative economies and this festival will be reintroduced to Jamaica and the world at a critical juncture,” said Wilson.

Reggae Sunsplash was first held by promoters Synergy at Jarrett Park in Montego Bay, St James, on June 23-30 in 1978. It was last held August 3-6, 2006 at Richmond Estate in Priory, St Ann.

Wilson and his team announced last year the decision to remount the popular festival. However, in May of this year they announced that following consultation with the related parties they were forced to announce a cancellation of the event which was set for November 6-8 at the Grizzly’s Plantation Cove in Priory, St Ann.

Visa and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) are the main sponsors of the Reggae Sunsplash 2020 will now be streamed primarily on YouTube along with other social media platforms.

Director of Tourism for Jamaica Donovan White noted that there is a cadre of fans who are excited at the return of this festival.

“The JTB recognises the value of reggae music as a larger than life pull for visitors across the globe and look forward to this 2020 staging as an opportunity to showcase Jamaica and Jamaican talent.”

Waldemar Cordero, head of Caribbean and Central America Marketing, for Visa shared that the virtual staging presented a great opportunity to reach his audience

“We know our consumers’ preferences across Jamaica and the region continue to shift, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic — which is why we are excited to be working with Reggae Sunsplash to provide a unique digital viewing experience for such an iconic brand. We look to connect people’s interests with benefits that are as unique as their DNA. Reggae Sunsplash is the perfect platform to bring this idea to life with the various viewing experiences being planned by the team.”

Reggae Sunsplash 2020 will also acknowledge the contribution of pioneer Dennis Brown with a tribute through performances as well as a special video presentation. The festival has also partnered with a number of sponsors to offer viewing locations at 20 venues across Jamaica, all while abiding by the COVID-19 protocols and the stipulated curfew hours.