ST JAMES, Jamaica — The St James Chapter of the Lay Magistrates Association of Jamaica (LMAJ) has announced the return of its signature event, which has been rebranded as ‘Marching Band Explosion 2025.’

Now in its fifth year, the event, set for Sunday, July 6, at the Montego Bay Multi-purpose Stadium, is part of the chapter’s ongoing efforts to engage at-risk youth from volatile communities.

According to organisations, the name change from ‘Marching Band Festival’ to ‘Marching Band Explosion 2025, reflects the organisation’s vision to expand the event’s expansion and significance.

An estimated 600 youngsters from across St James, Trelawny, Kingston, and St Catherine are expected to participate. This year will see 11 participating bands, the largest number since the event’s inception in 2018.

Speaking at the media launch held at Dreams Rose Hall Resort on Saturday, June 21, Claudette Bryan, regional vice president of the LMAJ, who delivered remarks on behalf of national president Lyden Trevor Heaven, revealed that the event is targeting to raise $4 million.

“I’m so excited, [that] this time almost $4 million will be raised to pour back into bands… so that they can be sustained and continue,” she noted.

LMAJ St James Chapter President, Suzette Ramdanie-Linton, highlighted the organisation’s primary objective to foster youth development through the programme.

“This programme is helping them to grow better, to become more disciplined and turn into the young men and young women who we need to lead this land that we love,” she said.

For his part, Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) President Christopher Samuda, a major sponsor of the event, underscored that genuine youth development begins with a willingness to understand.

“We understand that in constructing lives, we have to, of course, understand our youth. And this is a way that we understand our youth through the heart and the beat of the music, as the heart and the beat of the drums,” he said.

“And therefore, the Jamaica Olympic Association feels that we have a role to play in constructing that society, and we begin with our youth, the heartbeat of this island,” he added.