KINGSTON, Jamaica — Reggae stalwarts Beres Hammond, Leroy Sibbles and Capleton will be honoured during the Grand Gala celebrations on Wednesday, August 6.

Tens of thousands of Jamaicans are expected to turn out for the annual festivities, which will mark the culmination of the 2025 Independence celebrations under the theme, “Be Proud, Be Bold in Black, Green and Gold”.

Speaking with Observer Online, Minister of Culture and Entertainment, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange, said the cultural icons chosen to receive special recognition this year are true nation builders who have represented Jamaica well on the global stage.

“We’re gonna honour icons Beres Hammond, Capleton and Leroy Sibbles, who have played a huge part in pushing our music and culture on a global scale. They have represented us well as a country, flown the flag high for us worldwide, and this is our way of saying thank you, we see you and we appreciate you,” Grange said.

Beenie Man and Bounty Killer were last year’s special honourees.

The minister also revealed that, in addition to recognising some of the nation’s most impactful legends, the event will feature the usual fireworks display and showcase more than 3,000 of Jamaica’s most talented youth, with special performances from the likes of Luciano and Chris Martin.

“You can expect an excellent production, the usual fireworks, drone show and just exciting scenes. Every year we try to make the Grand Gala bigger than the previous year, and so this one will be something spectacular.”

Ticket outlets for the Grand Gala are expected to be announced shortly.