KINGSTON, Jamaica — Since announcing the inclusion of the Appleton Estate Rum Festival in partnership with their Blitz, organisers of Reggae Sumfest have been pulling out all the stops to ensure patrons are aware that the event has a lot more to offer than just two main show nights.

In fact, the team recently rolled out a heavy promotional machinery, which included a collaboration with popular social media influencer, Swiis Lee, aimed at showcasing that it is standing firm on its mantra of serving up a quality musical festival inclusive of eight events spread across seven days from July 14 to 20.

In an interview, Chief Executive Officer of Downsound Entertainment, producer of Reggae Sumfest, Josef Bogdanovich shared that since taking over the reigns of the festival, he and his team have worked tirelessly to ensure the festival is remembered beyond the performance nights.

“The team has put a lot of emphasis on the pre-events this year and it has been met with a lot of excitement so far. We want to make the festival experience an overall better one for the patrons and so the whole city will come alive for the entire week. From the  Family Funday to the Street Dance to the All White to the Global Sound Clash, to the RumFest Blitz, Reggae Sumfest will bring you a festival like no other,” Bogdanovich said.

Similar to last year, organisers will commence this year’s week of events with the Family Funday on Sunday, July 14. This event will be free to the public from 11:00 am to 1:00pm, and promises to be loads of fun for the entire family. According to Bogdanovich, “Reggae Sumfest is as excited about community and family as it is about music.”

“I can tell you from the first event, which was a huge success in its inaugural year last year, and I’m sure this year it will be even bigger. We’re making even more room for growth. We know there is a need to build this festival to even greater heights and we’re determined to do that,” he said.

He added that “The beauty of this is to see the whole thing come together to showcase what matters to the country. It’s a real experience that you can feel in your hearts and minds. I think patrons are becoming more aware of that and they’re looking forward to more fun, more parties.”

Karla Jankee, head of marketing and special events at Downsound Entertainment/Reggae Sumfest, said the event will also be geared towards giving back to the community.

Karla Jankee, head of marketing and special events at Downsound Entertainment/Reggae Sumfest

“We will have free medical, dental and optical which seeks to cater to everybody, regardless of their age, at the Family Fun Day. We will also have an adult village at the event where parents can go and unwind while the kids enjoy free rides all day. We will also have live performances and a lot of giveaways courtesy of our amazing sponsors. This initiative is in partnership with the St James Municipal Corporation, headed by Mayor of Montego Bay, Richard Vernon.

Jankee noted further that with a huge partnership with J Wray and Nephew already promising to bring even more patronage to the festival, come July 14, Reggae Sumfest is well on its way to cementing its place as the entertainment hub of the second city.

“We’ve been focusing on making sure people know that it’s eight events over the seven days that culminate into one festival experience. I think people still think it’s just Thursday, Friday, Saturday and so we really want to highlight and place special emphasis on our  pre-events this year,” she said.

“Last year, we saw significant growth for Blitz, Global SoundClash and the Street Dance, and with support from our title sponsor Caribbean Airlines and support from our other sponsors such as Magnum, H&L, Hennessy, Appleton Estate, Pepsi and Sunshine Snacks, we can only anticipate that this year will be the best one to date. This year, the All White will be powered by Hennessy and will have a number of deejays who will transport you back to the 90s, early 2000s with the entertainment package. We will have ZJ Liquid, ZJ Courtney and DJ Narity,” she continued.

“We will have the Global Sound Clash powered by Magnum, which is on Wednesday this year, and for the first time ever we’re going to have a female contestant in Bad Gal Marie and so that will be exciting in itself. We have sounds coming from Germany, Japan and South Sudan. Reggae Sumfest is a festival, so we’re really focused on holistic entertainment. We’re more than just a show, we’re an experience.”

Street Dance, also powered by Magnum, will be fueled by the culture with dance offs, DJ competitions and so much more. Rumfest Blitz –  presented by Appleton Estate – will be a festival within the festival.

“We will have special performances at Rum Fest from Beenie Man, who will be performing as Moses Davis in a way never seen before from him. It will just be the excellence of Jamaica — food, rum, fashion, dance, music, lifestyle… all coming together. Walshy Fire of Major Lazer, Franco, Brush 1 and DJ Ashile will also be bringing the heat at Blitz along with the a few JWN DJs, so you already know that’s going to be special.”

Jankee went on to share that a major part of the week’s line-up will be the locally featured artisans and food vendors from Montego Bay and other parts of the island.

“From the first event to the very last show night, we want to highlight brand Jamaica in all aspects. The excellence of our island and its people is what is on show for the world to see on the week of July 14 – 20, and it’s very exciting!

“The week would not be possible without support from Recycling Partners of Jamaica, and all our climate and sustainable development partners. Our police and security forces. Our medical teams. Our safety teams and all the people who do so much for the week at large.”