THE announcement of the return of Unruly Fest has reignited discussions about the potential of and the support given to the entertainment landscape in the parish of St Thomas, with the massive stage show also triggering the possible return of another staple, East Fest.

International dancehall superstar Popcaan has announced the return of Unruly Fest after a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and popular St Thomas-based events promoter and producer Junior Bloodline says that while the entertainment industry in the parish stands to benefit significantly from its return, there is room for much more support.

“To be honest, with my experience there the development can be done easily, it’s just [that] the police have to work [a] little better with the promoters. Sometimes I feel like promoters are targeted there,” said Junior Bloodline who is behind the popular Morning Brunch series and the upcoming week-long Dancehall Lifestyle event.

“On the other hand, everything has its time and stage in life so I don’t think there’s a rush to get St Thomas on the map because everybody knows Paul Bogle, a lot of great things come from St Thomas, so everything takes time. But in terms of the entertainment scene [we need] the police to work better with us,” he added.

Unruly Fest, which was previously staged at the old Goodyear Factory as well as the Lysson’s Pavilion in the parish, will this year be held on December 22 in Roselle, close to Morant Bay. So far Najeerii, Skillibeng, I-Wayne, and Fivio Foreign have been announced as guest performers.

Unruly Fest was first held back in 2018. The sold-out concert has seen appearances from Canadian rapper Drake, Tory Lanez, Bounty Killer, Cocoa Tea, Tanya Stephens, Bugle, I-Wayne, Agent Sasco, Bush Man, Iba Mahr, Jah Vinci, Quada, Jah Frass, Nesbeth, and Richie Stephens as it brought a much-needed entertainment boost to the parish of St Thomas.

Meanwhile, Junior Bloodline says he is pleased about the return of Unruly Fest and the positive light in which the festival has put the parish.

“As a promoter of a big event in St Thomas called Morning Bliss that attracts persons from all over Jamaica, I can say that shows like that bring exposure to a parish that is always said to be forgotten. Shows like [Unruly Fest] bring everything to the economy,” he reasoned.

“Persons who do nails, hair, supermarkets, vendors, even members of the police force also benefit … the parish council also benefits. It’s boosting the economy and everybody wins,” he continued.

Meanwhile, Grammy Award-winning artiste Gramps Morgan, whose family hails from St Thomas, agrees that Unruly Fest and others of the same magnitude are highly beneficial to the parish.

The Morgan Heritage front-line member shared that the appetite for entertainment options in that space, as well as long-overdue infrastructure installation, have encouraged the potential return of his family’s own major stage show, East Fest, which was last held in 2007.

“Well, large stage shows like this do a lot for the economy, especially around the holiday seasons. Vendors are able to make money, hotels are able to make money and send their children to school [because of it in] the same way East Fest did many years ago, over 20 years ago,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

The veteran singer added that he looks forward to the continuous development of St Thomas, especially with the infrastructural improvements that have been underway.

“I would definitely like to see more mega shows in our parish … and now that the highway is being built I definitely see our family show returning — East Fest — in the very near future. The future of St Thomas is looking very well,” Morgan said.