Dancehall heavyweights Vybz Kartel and Mavado are set to share the stage at Reggae Sumfest on July 18, 2026, in what organisers are describing as a historic one-night staging of the long-running festival.
The event will be held at Plantation Cove and marks the first time in years that the two dancehall titans—once fierce rivals during the genre’s influential Gaza and Gully era—will perform on the same stage at the festival.
Organisers made the announcement in a social media post on Friday, promoting the event as “Two Legends. One Stage,” while emphasizing that the staging is not intended as a clash but rather “a celebration of dancehall.”
Kartel, widely known as the “World Boss,” and Mavado, often called the “Gully God,” dominated a pivotal chapter in Jamaican dancehall history during the late 2000s and early 2010s. Their rivalry fueled one of the genre’s most talked-about moments, culminating in the famous Gaza vs. Gully clash at Sting.
The 2026 staging of Reggae Sumfest will also mark a temporary shift in format and location. According to organisers, the festival will take place as a single-night event branded “A Taste of Sumfest.”
The change follows damage to Catherine Hall in Montego Bay and the surrounding infrastructure caused by Hurricane Melissa in 2025. With rebuilding ongoing in western Jamaica, organisers said the scaled-down staging aims to keep the spirit of the festival alive while supporting recovery efforts in the region.
The event is scheduled for July 18 at Plantation Cove in St. Ann, with tickets expected to go on sale on Monday, March 9th.
