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Emancipendence 2026

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EMANCIPENDENCE
2026 United In Celebrating Resilience

Speeches and Messages

Event Schedule

Every confirmed date, time, and venue for this year’s Emancipendence season, headliner last

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DateTimeEventLocation
Sunday
July 19, 2026		 8:00 pm Jamaica Gospel Concert —
Saturday
July 25, 2026		 8:30 pm Jamaica Festivale Sing Show Results Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre — also live on TVJ and across social media
Sunday
July 26, 2026		 9:00 am Emancipation & Independence Thanksgiving Church Service Olson Memorial Church of God, 35 Hope Road, Kingston
Friday
July 31, 2026		 8:00 pm Seville Emancipation Jubilee Seville Heritage Park, St. Ann's Bay
Saturday
August 1, 2026		 8:00 pm Miss Jamaica Festival Queen Coronation Live on TVJ and across social media
Sunday
August 2, 2026		 8:00 pm Jamaica Gospel Star Grand Finale Live on TVJ and across social media
Monday
August 3, 2026		 8:00 pm Mello-Go-Roun' Live on TVJ and across social media
Tuesday
August 4, 2026		 8:00 pm Independence Soul Tuesday —
Wednesday
August 5, 2026		 8:00 pm Independence Bingo and Games Night —
Thursday
August 6, 2026		 6:00 pm Independence Grand Gala National Stadium — live on TVJ and across social media
Thursday
August 6, 2026		 — Independence Grand Gala — Watch Party Independence Village
Thursday
August 6, 2026		 — National Street Dance Independence Village
Thursday
August 6, 2026		 — Street Dances in all Parishes Across the island's parish capitals and some towns

This Year's Highlights

Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange (left), presents 2026 Jamaica Festival Song Competition winner dBurnz with his trophy, at the grand finale of the competition held at the Ranny Williams Entertainment Centre in St. Andrew on Saturday (July 25). Dburnz took the coveted title with his song 'I Love Jamaica'.
Miss Jamaica Festival Queen 2025, Brithney Clarke (at the lectern) and the 13 Parish Queens for 2026, lead the recitation of the National Pledge at the National Emancipation and Independence Thanksgiving Church Service held on Sunday (July 26) at the Olson Memorial Church of God on Hope Road in St. Andrew. 
Members of the Yallahs Baptist Church choir minister in song during the Independence Church Service held at the church on July 26 to officially launch St. Thomas' Independence 2026 celebrations.
Chargé d'Affaires at the Embassy of Jamaica in Washington DC, Lishann Salmon (right) joins Jamaicans and friends of the island at the Service of Thanksgiving marking Jamaica's 64th Anniversary of Independence and the 188th Anniversary of Emancipation at the Seabrook Seventh-day Adventist Church in Lanham, Maryland, on Sunday (July 26).
National Farm Queen, Kapri Scott (centre) shares a photo moment with first runner up, Clarendon’s Amelia Fearon (left) and second runner up, St. Catherine’s Sara Dee Francis, during the National Farm Queen Competition 2026 coronation show at the President’s Pavilion, Denbigh Showground in May Pen, Clarendon on July 31.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange (centre), dances with the Charles Town Maroons group during a previous staging of the Seville Emancipation Jubilee in St. Ann.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange (left) presents Jamaica Festival Queen 2026, Christina Williams with her trophy during the Festival Queen Coronation Show, held on Saturday night (August 1) at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston. Miss Williams, representing Portland, also won several sectional prizes, including Most Culturally Aware, Most Active in the Community, Most Poised, and Best in Gown.

1834

Emancipation

1838

Full Freedom

1962

Independence

14

Parishes

THOUSANDS

Celebrating Across Jamaica

Last Years Festivities

Members of the Port Antonio Theatre Group are animated in performance at the staging of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission’s (JCDC) Mello-Go-Roun 2025 on Monday (Aug. 4), at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon Olivia Grange (left), presents Jamaica Festival Queen 2025, Brithney Clarke, with her trophy at the Coronation Show held on Saturday night (Aug.2) at the National Indoor Sports Centre in Kingston. Miss Clarke, representing Kingston & St Andrew, topped the field of 14 parish queens. She won several sectional prizes, including Most Congenial, Most Poised, and Most Popular on Social Media.
Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Hon. Olivia Grange (right), presents 2025 Gospel Star winner, Raheim Betty, with his $1 million cheque and trophy at the Jamaica Gospel Star Competition, held on Sunday (August 3), at the National Indoor Sports Centre, in St. Andrew.
Gospel artiste, Kevin Downswell, moved the audience with a heartfelt performance during the 2025 Jamaica Gospel Star Competition, held on Sunday (August 3), at the National Indoor Sports Centre, in St. Andrew.
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness (right), stands on the dais as he is saluted by the Guard of Honour during the celebration of Jamaica’s 63rd year of Independence at the Grand Gala held at the National Stadium in Kingston on Wednesday (August 6).
Jamaicans dance, sing and wave flags during the annual Grand Gala in celebration of Jamaica’s 63rd anniversary of Independence, held on Wednesday (August 6), at the National Stadium in Kingston.
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