Solidarity was the word of the night at the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony hosted by Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) on Tuesday as onlookers gathered inside St William Grant Park in downtown Kingston to usher in ‘Christmas in the city’ officially.

Though the park was not as jam-packed as previous years, it became clear as the programme continued that, despite the hardships currently being felt across the island, spreading Christmas cheer this season is highly encouraged.

Attendees were in high spirits as they enjoyed the evening’s proceedings, which included lively dance pieces from the LAUD Dance Ministry and the Denham Town Dance Academy.

Having scaled down to focus resources elsewhere, the ceremony may not have featured special guest appearances from top dancehall deejays, but was given the thumbs up by those in attendance following encore performances from one young singer, Jovanni Richards.

A student at Ardenne High School, he wowed the audience and earned their respect after a soulful rendition of Jimmy Cliff’s Many Rivers to Cross. The young vocalist was only scheduled to perform one item, but graciously volunteered to fill the void left by the Calabar High School Quartet, who was unable to attend due to an emergency.

Richards, on his return to the stage, served up another treat as he delivered the lyrics to Bob Marley’s
Redemption Song. The performance earned him thunderous applause from the crowd, who requested that he return to the mic for an encore. Organisers obliged later in the programme, at which time he urged crowd participation as he delivered a medley of Christmas carols.

Mayor of Kingston Andrew Swaby expressed in his message that he has been on the ground in western Jamaica in some of the communities hardest hit by Hurricane Melissa. He shared that his municipality purposefully chose to focus on the message of solidarity during the season, as Jamaicans continue to recover from Melissa’s devastation.

“Families are rebuilding and some communities are still trying to get back on their feet, so even though Kingston was not hit the hardest, we stand in full solidarity with every parish and household still recovering, and this is why this year’s event was scaled down,” he said. “We cannot pretend that things are normal everywhere, and we cannot be tone deaf; our country is still healing and, in a time like this, we choose simplicity, respect, and togetherness.”

“The Christmas tree will still be lit, but it will shine with purpose as a symbol of hope to every Jamaican,” he continued. “This year tested us, it reminded us of how quickly life can change and how much we need each other, but it also reminds us what truly matters: Christmas is not just about how big a celebration is, it’s about care, kindness and community.”

With that said, the mayor gave the cue for the countdown to begin and as the audience chimed in the huge tree in the centre of the park was lit. Celebrations began immediately after as singer Dwight Richards and Nazzle Man served up a slew of reggae, ska, and gospel tracks.

Delighted with the turnout despite little to no public relations (PR) run, Mayor Swaby said the ceremony was a success as Jamaicans continue to display unwavering resilience.

“We didn’t go the whole stage show setting because our focus was really to scale back this year, and I must say that I am proud of the turnout because we were having some difficulties in putting this on and we held back even in terms of the PR that the show required, but we are happy that persons came out and they appreciated it,” said Swaby.

Members of the Denham Town Dance Academy perform during the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) Christmas Tree-Lighting Ceremony on Wednesday, December 9. (Photo: JIS)

Mayor of Kingston, Councillor Andrew Swaby (second left) shares a photo opportunity with (from left) Custos of St Andrew Ian Forbes; Miss Kingston & St Andrew 2025 Festival Queen first runner-up Johnique Francis; Little Miss Kingston & St Andrew Adaya Hudson; and Member of Parliament for Manchester North Western Mikael Phillips, representing Opposition Leader Mark Golding at the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) Christmas Tree-Lighting Ceremony, held on Wednesday, December 9 at St William Grant Park in downtown Kingston. (Photo: JIS)

Laud Dance Ministry delivers a soulful performance during the Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation (KSAMC) Christmas Tree-Lighting Ceremony, held on Wednesday, December 9 at St William Grant Park in downtown Kingston.  (Photo: JIS)