NEGRIL, Westmoreland — Amid concerns that Negril has lost its lustre, following the departure of two major events — Dream Wknd and Reggae Marathon — a number of local stakeholders are working on a plan to prove the ‘Capital of Casual’ is still the place to be.

Several of the resort town’s hotels and most iconic venues have formed a coalition that will host four days of exciting live events from October 17 to 20. On board are Ricks Café, Woodstock, Jungle, Roots Bamboo, Chances, Margaritaville, Long Bay Beach Park, Wavz as well as Jamwest Motorsports and Adventure Park.

“Negril is not just alive, it’s blazing and roaring with passion, and we are torching any rumours that our events and attractions are waning,” organiser of Negril’s Heroes Wknd event, Rosa Young, told the Jamaica Observer.

She has planned a press briefing for today, when more details will be provided, but she explained the thought process behind the event.

“We are the heartbeats of Negril, as you know, so we’re here to proclaim that Negril’s magic is stronger than ever. We are just reminding ourselves that we know change is inevitable, and we’re reimagining ourselves and igniting Jamaica’s world-famous seven mile beach and cliff with unforgettable experiences. Because we feel we are the best in the West,” argued Young.

That change is evident with Dream Wknd organisers moving their 2026 event from Negril to Montego Bay while Reggae Marathon has moved to the Kingston Waterfront for its 25th anniversary, which will be held on December 7, 2025.

“I’m always cognisant of the fact that any event, once they’re not resident, they can always leave. And that’s the nature of our business. You will have guests who will be returning guests to a hotel 10 times and all of a sudden, they feel like trying a new hotel. No harm, no foul. It’s just the nature of the beast. We take each one and we welcome new promoters, as well. We are extremely grateful to Dream for having spent 16 years showing us love and they brought their patronage with us and supported Negril,” stated Young, who is also owner of Wavz in Negril.

“We want to remind locals that we [Negril stakeholders] are here, and we’re not going anywhere,” she added.

The four days of activity being planned are designed to boost community tourism and celebrate Negril’s unique cultural and entertainment appeal.

The events are centred on community outreach, sports, and music. The weekend activities will kick off with a football extravaganza tournament featuring friendly matches between local hotels and first responders.

Patrons will be able to enjoy Wavz Sunset pop-ups showcasing nine of Negril’s top restaurants, as well as live Afrobeat and Latin music sets from top DJs, including DJ Flutegroove, DJ Lytes, Lava, and guest DJ V Free.

Sunday will bring the St Anthony’s Carnival Breezes Parade, featuring local schools and youth clubs, truck bands and first responders.

“It’s our own mini parade,” said an excited Young.

“We’ve gotten our schools involved. We have Sheffield Primary. We have Revival. We have the Negril Youth Club, and we have our St Anthony’s Youth Club. They are decorating the trucks and the winner of this, thanks to the generosity of the Negril councillor, Mr [Arthel] Colley, will win $50,000 to put towards their school or club. And then, we have rides for the kids and like beer and brush painting for the adults,” added Young.

The festivities culminate in a grand concert featuring Elephant Man. He will be joined by Cecile, Absolute, Big Red, Sound Bwoii, and the High Free-Quency Band, among others. The Heroes Weekend event will also spotlight Negril’s everyday heroes. Those who will be honoured include commanding officer for the Westmoreland police division, SSP Othneil Dobson, for his role in maintaining safety and low crime levels; head of the Westmoreland Fire Department O’Neil Henry for his leadership and efforts to acquire a drone for Negril; health promotion and education officer for the parish, Gerald Miller for his contributions to health and wellness initiatives; St Mary’s Gate of Heaven Catholic Church Father, Colin King for operating St Anthony’s Kitchen, which feeds 180 people daily and provides breakfast for 80 children.

The effort to keep Negril relevant continues beyond Heroes Weekend. Other upcoming activities include a Negril 5K Beach Trot scheduled for December 5-7, One Love Jerk Fest set for February 6-8 and Riddim N Vibz that will be held between July 31 and August 7.

In partnership with Knutsford Express, participants will enjoy discounted travel from five routes across Jamaica, while many of Negril’s boutique hotels and small businesses will be offering special rates.

“We hope that people in Jamaica will take the long weekend, come to Negril. There are so many hotels that are giving a discount. Just call and you’d be so surprised,” urged Young.

“We have so many businesses that are offering discounts for you to come. If people buy a full weekend, they [will] come to one of our events for free. So I don’t think we can get any more affordable,” she added.

However, Young conceded that some people may argue that Negril is expensive.

“We are at the very western part of the island. So of course, what you may have on the other side is a little bit cheaper than what you may find on the other side. Same thing if you’re from Negril. You would go to Kingston and find things maybe a little bit differently priced. But we are here and we want to support our locals and we feel that community tourism is a big important factor for us. So, we want our Jamaicans to know that we are here for you guys,” she assured.

Organiser of Negril’s Heroes’ Wknd event, Rosa Young.