‘Show of the century’ - Sting promoters promise grand return for Boxing Day event

In 2015, when the curtains came down on the annual Boxing Day showcase Sting, dancehall fans never predicted that they would have to wait for seven years for the return of the "Greatest one-night reggae and dancehall show on Earth".

The Supreme Promotions event, after previous false starts, is on the calendar for 2022, and Sting director, Junior 'Heavy D' Fraser, told THE STAR that "this year's Sting will be the super show of the century".

Emphasising that he is "not the official spokesperson" Heavy D was willing to be quoted on just a few things.

A release sent to the media at the end of July had announced the event's return and that 15 artistes were already booked for the December 26 staging, which will move from Sting's 'home' at JamWorld Entertainment Centre in Portmore, St Catherine, to Grizzly's Entertainment Centre at Plantation Cove in St Ann.

Heavy D updated that 20 artistes have been confirmed.

"Confirmed, not just booked,"Heavy D stressed.

An artiste manager who is grounded in the business side of the music business, Heavy D explained that the word "confirmed" meant that the artistes have already received a portion or all of their performance fees, thus fully securing the date.

On the weekend, Sting released some of the names of the artistes who will be performing on the Boxing Day gala, and dancehall fans are already getting excited over hot ticket acts Skeng and Jahshii being on the bill. On the female side, a poster showed up on Heavy D's social media pages with Shaneil Muir, Moyann and Stalk Ashley and the word "confirmed" in bold.

Reports are that Sting founder, Isaiah Laing, has found a huge, overseas-based investor for his storied event, but Heavy D, when asked was tight-lipped.

"I am not the official spokesperson," he reiterated, and also refused to say if any overseas-based artistes have been confirmed.

"Just know that Sting is going to be big ... huge."

The release noted that for 30 years Sting has showcased the type of "cutting-edge" entertainment that has created musical history.

"Sting is the ultimate colosseum, where lyrical masters unleash their lyrical projectiles with the intention of emerging the ultimate victor. It holds the platinum microphone categorisation as the seminal and only true stage for the grooming of young, not-so-young, and popular dancehall artistes in the art of stagecraft and lyrical mastery," the release stated.