Best of the Best, North America’s popular Caribbean music festival, is back for its 16th annual staging at Bayfront Park in Downtown Miami.

After an October staging last year due to COVID-19 lockdowns, it returns to its regular time slot — May 29.

This year’s staging sees an exciting mix of performers to mark the return of the festival. The following acts will be taking stage at this year’s Best Of the Best staging: Cham, famous for hits including Ghetto Story, Vitamin S, and Another Level; Vegas, who is known for Hot Wuk, Heads High, I Am Blessed, and more. Emerging acts Yaksta and 10Tik, with their hit singles Ambition and Roll Deep, respectively, are also set to take to the stage in Miami.

Fresh from the success of another voyage of the Love and Harmony Cruise, reggae icon Beres Hammond is set to return to the Best of the Best stage after six years. For Hammond, this is his first live performance in the United States in almost three years.

Crooner Christopher Martin (Cheaters Prayer, Big Deal, Mama), soca songstress Patrice Roberts (Tender, Carry On, Splash, Mind Yuh Business), Pressure Busspipe (Love and Affection, Lion is Lion, Everything I Need), Lyrikal (Happy Place, Criminal Wine, Rukshun, Cloud 9), and Ricardo Drue (Professional, Vagabond, Toxic Love feat Patrice Roberts) will also grace the stage.

For over a decade and a half, the promoters of Best of the Best have brought its patrons the highest level of musical entertainment possible in the modern music space. This includes performances from artistes such as Mavado, Bunji Garlin, Shenseea, Richie Stephens, and Konshens.

Recognised and honoured in 2019 with a proclamation by the city of Miami, each year the festival has welcomed diverse audience from all over the world and, according to the organisers, the event has become the perfect getaway for music aficionados who prefer to experience live Caribbean music.

“It is a celebration of Caribbean heritage. It has been kind of downplayed because it has been doing well for so long. Best of the Best has earned its reputation based on the fact it’s in its 13th year. This festival also hasn’t had any negative incidents and we are very proud of that,” declared Retha Boone-Fye, programme officer and director of the county’s Black Affairs Advisory Board.