Montego Bay, Jamaica — Reggae Sumfest, widely hailed as the greatest reggae festival in the world, lit up Jamaica’s second city with a week-long celebration of music, culture, and community. Drawing throngs of locals and international visitors, the festival’s high-energy events have transformed Montego Bay into a pulsating hub of sound and style.
Though I missed Sunday’s Family Fun Day kickoff, I was among the fans at Wednesday night’s Blitz—the highly anticipated all-black affair at Catherine Hall Stadium grounds. The night belonged to Stalk Ashley, who delivered a commanding solo set that seamlessly fused R&B, dancehall, and soul. Her performance had the crowd singing in unison, and the energy reached fever pitch when she was joined by dancehall firebrand Valiant for their explosive collaboration Narcissistic, sending both temperature and decibel levels soaring.
Adding to the week long excitement was the revamped Global Fete Sound Clash, featuring a fierce face-off between veteran selector Tony Matterhorn and Little Shabba of Notorious International. Matterhorn came out swinging with heavyweight anthems from Mavado and Vybz Kartel, but Shabba—unfazed—answered back with knockout tunes of his own, including a dubplate from Matterhorn himself, recorded years ago for Notorious International.
The clash reached its apex in the electrifying “tune-for-tune” segment. Matterhorn struck first with a pair of blistering Kartel dubplates, but Shabba countered with unmatched precision, clinching victory for the second consecutive year. Remarkably, he performed solo this time—his wife and sound partner, Bad Gal Marie, was away in Japan for a family funeral.
The music kept coming. Ghanaian star Moliy made her Sumfest debut with her Billboard hit Shake It To The Max, joined on stage by two enthusiastic female dancers from the crowd. She was followed by Yung Bredda, who brought soca vibes to the forefront with his massive anthem The Greatest Bend Ova.
The week’s momentum has been unstoppable. Monday’s street dance and Tuesday’s all-white party at Pier One drew packed crowds and rave reviews, keeping the Sumfest spirit alive around the clock.
All eyes now turn to Festival Night One, set for tonight, where the legendary Vybz Kartel will be crowned the undisputed King of Dancehall. Joining the explosive lineup are Skeng, Laden, Govana, Jamal, and Tommy Lee Sparta.
The festival wraps on Saturday night with an epic finale led by R&B legend Toni Braxton, joined by Protoje, Lila Iké, and Tarrus Riley, who will honor his late father, reggae icon Jimmy Riley. The closing night also features tributes by Canadian crooner Chester Miller to Dennis Brown, and British soul singer Terence Wallen to Gregory Isaacs—a heartfelt nod to reggae’s rich legacy and its vibrant future.
