Reggae Sumfest is an iconic music festival that happens every summer in Montego Bay, Jamaica. It is the biggest music festival in Jamaica and quite likely in the Caribbean region. The festival was founded in 1993 by local businessmen, Robert Russel and Johnny Gourzong. The purpose of Reggae Sumfest was to replace Sunsplash, the island’s main Reggae festival at the time, which came to an end in 1992. The festival has since changed hands, with CEO of Downsound Records, Joe Bogdanovich, now owning the controlling rights. Learn more about the history of Sumfest here.
The festival is usually held in mid-July, with a week of activities that include a beach party, sound system clash, and the main concert nights from Thursday to Saturday. These concerts take place at the event grounds in Catherine Hall, Montego Bay. For that week, the entire city is focused on Sumfest as it is not only a source of entertainment, but a huge income earner for big businesses like airlines and resorts, to small food vendors and men selling “reggae beds” to tired patrons in the wee hours of the morning.
Regarded as the world’s greatest reggae music festival, the concert has live performances from top reggae, dancehall and international artistes. Over the years the Sumfest Jamaica line-up has included iconic stars such as Dennis Brown, Bunny Wailer, Damian “Junior Gong” Marley, Ziggy Marley, Toots and the Maytals, Maxi Priest, Buju Banton, Barrington Levy, Freddie McGregor, Beenie Man, Bounty Killer, Vybz Cartel,Sean Paul, Chronix and so many more. Numerous international stars have also been featured such as Rihanna, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Wyclef Jean, Snoop Dogg, Usher, Chris Brown, and the list continues.
For more information on other events and things to do in Montego Bay, check out these related posts: Events and Activities
Photo credit: Reggae Sumfest
