‘Sting will never die’ - Laing says ‘culture vulture’ wants to kill iconic show

Isaiah Laing, head of Supreme Promotions, promoters of Sting, says this year's show would have been one for the history books had he not been forced to pull the plug on the annual Boxing Day event at the 11th hour on Thursday.

"The vibration when wi go pon di road go do motorcade, the kinda vibe that we get from the people - yuh know it, yuh can feel it when it's in the air," a disappointed Laing told THE WEEKEND STAR hours after the show cancellation.

Plans for this year's show were shelved after the production company for the event, Clearsound Production, withdrew citing alleged breach of contract. Laing, while admitting that cash was a major issue issue that led to the show eventually being called off, said there were other significant factors at play. For him, patrons were yearning to get their annual fix, and it is said that they have been let down.

"The amount a time mi phone ring, [especially] on Christmas Day, mi phone nuh stop ring wid people a beg ticket; and when people a beg ticket like dat, yuh know di show ram. Sting was going to be huge this year because of the feedback that we were getting and the ticket sales - the sales were going very good," shared Laing.

First held in 1984, Sting has been dubbed 'The Greatest One Night Reggae and Dancehall Show On Earth'. It has provided a platform from many of Jamaica's top entertainers to showcase their talents, while earning the reputation of being the stage on which the baddest DJ is crowned.

Yet, due to limited financial support, the show went on a seven hiatus from 2015 and only returned in 2022. Organisers faced heavy headwinds preparing for the 2024 edition, with many pundits and partgoers arguing Sting would be in direct competition with Vybz Kartel's New Year's Eve party, Freedom Street. On Thursday, as Laing reflected on the devastating setback, he resolutely declared that "this part of Jamaica's cultural legacy will never die".

"Hurt which brand? It can only mek Sting bigger," Laing said.

"Sting is the institution and it's getting the fight; Sting is here as a cultural brand and the 'culture vulture' wants it and they can't get it, so they'll do everything to kill it, but they can't kill it either," Laing said firmly.

He continued, "The brand Sting stands alone and it's just the corporate entities need to come on board. But the brand Sting is like a bastard child with some rich children who don't even look back pon dem fadda," he added, stressing that aside from support from key figures like Minister of Entertainment Olivia 'Babsy' Grange and Health Minister Dr Christopher Tufton, Supreme Promotions is standing firm on its own.

With the show tentatively rescheduled for February 2025, Laing assured patrons who had already made arrangements that they could either attend the new date or receive a refund.

"It's mostly a setback for persons who were looking to benefit from the show such as the vendors...but everything soon alright again, mi naah worry myself because my God knows best...It's not really a setback for Sting but if it set us back, it's a setback to step forward better," Laing said.