Reggae Sumfest 2024 to be ‘the best ever’ - Festival to give back to those affected by Hurricane Beryl

Hurricane Beryl did not put a damper on "the greatest reggae show on earth" and promoter of Reggae Sumfest, Joe Bogdanovich, is predicting that the week-long festival will be the best ever.

"Everybody's talking about it. The promotion is all over the map ... you can't even do [anything] and not hear it, you can't say anything to anybody without hearing 'Reggae Sumfest'. So we're feeling good about everything. We know there's a lot of hardships out there and we're going to make some contributions from the festival at the end because a lot of people are hurting [from the hurricane and] we understand that," Bogdanovich told THE WEEKEND STAR.

"We work so hard to deliver all the things that we do for the greatest reggae show on earth. And we have a great team. I'm telling you, this is going to be the best year ever for Reggae Sumfest for several reasons. One, the line-up is impeccable ... there's no fluff in the bucket, everybody has something to contribute, including some artistes you haven't even heard of before, which is great. We've upgraded on the security, [making] sure that the hospitality is way up and give more value to the experience," he added.

Reggae Sumfest kick-starts this Sunday, July 14, with the Family Funday which will feature dancehall artiste, Laa Lee. Next up is the 'Street Dance,' followed by the 'All White' event. On Wednesday, the focus will be the highly anticipated 'Global Sound Clash' featuring titleholder, Dynamq Sound. Bogdanovich said the Dynamq team is "sassy and in high spirit" to reclaim their title. Also, for the first time in Sumfest's history, this year's sound clash will also feature a Japanese female selector.

The newly added 'Rumfest Sumfest Blitz' will be ignited with Dancehall King, Beenie Man, performing as Moses Davis and who will be joined by an orchestra. Bogdanovich is confident that these events will definitely set the tone for the staple nights of Friday and Saturday which will see a plethora of local and international acts swarming the stage.

With the exception of 'All White' which is being held at Pier 1, all other events will be hosted at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex in Montego Bay.

"The production is top notch and moving according to plan and on time. And it's going to be something you've never seen before. We put big interests in promoting our artistry, our culture and reggae and dancehall musical lifestyle here in the Caribbean. We spend money to show that to the world and that's important in bringing tourists here to Jamaica," he said while noting that Reggae Sumfest will be hosting its first international show in May 2025.

Bogdanovich shared that he's already seeing an increase in ticket sales because of Rumfest.

"This will definitely attract a different kind of crowd, which is expanding the breadth of the festival. This is a real festival. And it's exciting, you can feel it. It's just like I want to be there and enjoy myself, hang out with my friends and meet new people and listen to some great music [with] beautiful girls all over the place," he laughed. He, however, noted that an additional new feature will include a partnership with Mastercard, which will be on the grounds "selling tickets at a reduced cost".

As Montego Bay gets busy with the buzz from the reggae festival, Bogdanovich said the "vibe is right" and he is looking forward to the "love and great joy" that Sumfest will bring to the people. He added that fans should come expecting "a lot of peace and love and blessings because the unity that you're going to feel is something that's gonna be great in ways you don't even know".