FOR nine years, Kingston Creative has worked from a single conviction: that creativity is Jamaica’s greatest asset. It is the next great export industry, and downtown Kingston can be its home.

The city that gave the world ska, rocksteady, reggae and dancehall will open its galleries, railway stations and repurposed buildings from December 6 to 13 for the inaugural Kingston International Festival (KIF) 2026, a citywide exhibition of art and culture that will turn cultural influence into lasting income for the artists who create it.

Kingston Creative formally launched KIF 2026 on November 6 at The ROK Hotel on Kingston Waterfront, one month before opening night. In support of the growth and transformation of the historic location, the ROK Hotel will also host several of the weeks’ activities.

“We may come from a small nation but our culture shapes global culture,” said Andrea Dempster Chung, founder and CEO of Kingston Creative. “The question that we have to ask ourselves is whether our artists, our communities and our economy have shared fully in the value that we create, and if not, why not? What’s missing from the equation? The Kingston International Festival is one of the answers.”

KIF is an invitation to visit Kingston, and it carries the backing of the Government, as Olivia Grange, minister of culture, gender, entertainment and sport was announced as patron of the festival.

“The [Kingston International] Festival aligns with the Government’s broader vision for the development of Jamaica’s cultural and creative industries and the objectives underpinning our National Cultural Policy. We recognise that culture is not merely something to be preserved; it is also an economic asset, a source of employment, a vehicle for social transformation and an important instrument of national development,” stated Grange.

“I am particularly pleased with the festival’s emphasis on intellectual property protection and the creative business workshops. Our artists must understand the value of what they create, protect their intellectual property and be positioned to earn from their creativity, both locally and internationally,“ she added. ”The proposed initiative to formally lodge artists’ intellectual property at the National Library of Jamaica is therefore a welcome development.”

With more than 50 artists and collectives from Jamaica and the Caribbean, the Kingston International Festival week will also feature the artistic works of Storm Saulter, Katrina Coombs, Richard Nattoo, Phillip Thomas, Joshua Solas, Camille Chedda, Dana Baugh, Kianne Patrice, Marina Burnel, Romain Lewis and Pamella Chang. In addition, photography by Alan Smith and Radi Konstantinov, curated by Emma Miles, and new work presented by Bad Art Gallery, Décor VII and the Grosvenor Gallery; live murals by Anne-Sophie Howell, Keddan Savage, Steekoner, Yann ‘Tooky’ Gabriel and Yasmina Anibal of Guadeloupe.

From film, music and literature perspectives, Saulter, Donisha Prendergast, Brittney M Russell, Films That Move, Jacqueline Cohen, Opal Palmer Adisa and Daniel Edwards will also showcase their works, and a special film night will be hosted by the British Council. In music, patrons can enjoy contributions from Panic, Steve ‘Urchin’ Wilson, Paul ‘Stamma’ Watson at Dubwise, Erica ‘Rica’ Lousie Richards, Jeremy Ashbourne, and Gabre Selassie of Kingston Dub Club.

The week opens on December 6 with the Reggae Marathon, hosted by Running Events Limited on the Kingston Waterfront. At 10:00 am, the Grosvenor Art & Craft Fair opens at Grosvenor Gallery, while a mural launch featuring Pamella Chang and the Norwegian Seafood Company takes place at Water Lane and Church Street. At midday, Life on the Line by Alan Smith and Radi Konstantinov is presented at the Kingston Railway Station. The day closes at 6:00 pm with the KIF Gala at the National Gallery of Jamaica, featuring a keynote address by acclaimed author Marlon James.

The programme also has a business agenda. Workshops at The ROK Hotel will cover intellectual property, market access and digital skills, and will introduce the Caribbean Creative Industries Toolkit, built to outlast the festival.

Visual Artist Richard Nattoo commended KIF on their advocacy for Jamaica’s creative movement, sharing, “I’ve been exhibiting since 2013 and it is truly motivating to see the action and passion for our artists with the festival. My work is focused on reimagining Jonkanoo, a cultural north star for our people, part of that preservation is introducing or re-introducing it to all generations, that is what I believe can be achieved with the festival. It is empowering”.

KIF 2026 builds on Kingston’s identity as a UNESCO Creative City, inviting local and international audiences to experience the capital through its artists, creative communities and cultural spaces. The festival is supported by partners including the Jamaica Tourist Board; the Caribbean Development Bank’s cultural Cultural and Creative Industries Innovation Fund; the IDB Group; the British Council; the National Gallery of Jamaica; AIRTS; Orange Park; Bad Art Gallery; the ROK Hotel; S Hotel Kingston; Kingston and St. Andrew Municipal Corporation, Berger Paints Jamaica Limited, PaperboyJa and the Ministry of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport.