Reggae Sumfest, Jamaica’s iconic festival often hailed as “the greatest reggae show on earth”, is shaking things up for 2026. The annual July event will be held at Plantation Cove in St Ann for the first time, with a single show night, a move that has sparked curiosity among fans accustomed to the festival’s long-time home in Montego Bay.

But, according to Joe Bogdanovich, CEO of Downsound Entertainment, the change is far from a sign of abandonment.

“We’re not abandoning our home, Montego Bay, and so I want to make that very clear. Reggae Sumfest’s home is Montego Bay — it’s been there since the beginning,” Bogdanovich emphasised. “The city just couldn’t quite handle all the crowd we were expecting, and we really just want to give our people the best experience possible.”

It is this strategic focus on creating the best possible experience that sets the stage for one of the festival’s most anticipated moments yet: A Gully/Gaza reunion between dancehall legends Vybz Kartel and Mavado.

“We move with a flow, and the timing was perfect for the Gully/Gaza reunion. Opportunity arises when the atmosphere is ripe, and conversations between Kartel and Mavado have always been easy for the Reggae Sumfest team,” Bogdanovich explained. “We’re not pushing any negative narrative or any resistant kind of vibes. It was just a natural flow, something we’ve been talking about for a while. When we did Freedom Street we saw how massive that was for the culture, and we’re positive this one will be no different.”

Bogdanovich assured fans that, beyond the reunion, the event will deliver a seamless and celebratory experience.

He added: “We’re gonna be giving folks a really big bang for their buck. Tickets are already selling out, so that’s an indication that the show will be great.”

“This is a positive event, a real celebration with great music, and we just want fans of the music to come out and enjoy themselves. We have a few more tricks up our sleeves, too, so just wait on those announcements,” he said, also highlighting that his team is already working on logistics to ensure the event runs smoothly.

“We’re working really hard on the traffic issues, and we’re confident we can manage that. We’re going to be working with the police and the fire departments to make sure everything works together and runs smoothly. Gates open at 4:00 pm, so get there early because it’s going to be special.”

Bogdanovich also hinted at a festival season filled with additional experiences, saying: “We’re gonna be doing some parties also. We’re looking to do the All-White event at Pier One and a few others to get others involved and share the glory of Reggae Sumfest and what comes with it. We just had a great reggae music festival at Hope Gardens, and come July we’re going to see the dancehall side showing out just as much.”