DC World Reggae Festival to Celebrate Jamaica 60, Set for August 20

The media launch for the second annual DC World Reggae Festival will take place on Friday (August 19) and will be addressed by Jamaica’s Ambassador to the United States, Audrey Marks.

The Festival, which has now been scaled down to a one-day event on Saturday (August 20) at the RFK Festival Grounds, will feature Beres Hammond, Beenie Man, Tina Savage, 2Face aka 2Baba, along with Ras Slick, Kerwin Dubois, Rupee, Naomi Achu, Nkula, Lokal, Jah Works and Ethan. The confirmed DJ roster is Rennastone, Ricky Platinum and Prince Royal.

Event organisers, Omar Stephenson and Hector Carter, have informed that the change to a one-day event means that two of the scheduled acts, including Third World and Bela Dona will no longer be on the show due to scheduling conflicts.

“After meeting with our core team, we felt it was best to ensure a great experience for our attendees to combine the days. We were able to smoothly transition to a one-day event and appreciate everyone’s patience and assistance as we work to deliver a positive 60th anniversary experience,” says Stephenson.

He reiterated that the DC World Reggae Festival is a family-friendly event that promotes “world peace” with this year’s theme, “Let there be Peace on Earth”, covering the topics of love, unity, spiritual rejuvenation, and health awareness. According to the promoters, the event will include a children’s zone, two stages, and local vendors.

The one-day festival, being staged by Top Tier Management Group in partnership with Pumpstation Entertainment, will celebrate and honour Jamaica’s 60th anniversary of Independence.

The Embassy of Jamaica has endorsed the festival, which will form part of the activities to celebrate Jamaica’s 60th anniversary throughout the DMV, which comprises the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.

In welcoming its staging for yet another year, Ambassador Marks commended the team for conceptualising the festival.

She described the initiative as a great way to promote Jamaica as a country, as well as its music and culture. “If you think about it, we are all ambassadors of our country – especially its culture – which has so influenced the world stage that people are constantly amazed at our geographic size,” she said.

Ambassador Marks emphasised that it is time for Jamaicans living in the diaspora to monetise the country’s culture, food, music, and dance. “Our music, fashion and our film industry have tremendous potential,” said Marks.

Front Gate Ticketing and DC Events have provided several hassle-free options for ticket holders of a combo-day or a Sunday (August 21) pass, including full refunds or partial refunds, the organisers say.

They are asking patrons who have not received an e-mail correspondence from Front Gate Ticketing and have purchased a combo or Sunday pass, to send an e-mail to order-support@frontgatetickets.com.

Persons interested in attending the DC World Reggae Festival, can visit www.dcworldreggaefestival.com.