Reggae Sumfest 2023 kicks off this weekend with the sale of early-bird tickets starting Friday (February 17) at midday and ending at midnight on March 5.

The 2023 iteration of the greatest reggae festival on earth celebrates the festival’s 30th anniversary and will be held in Montego Bay from July 16-22.

In making the announcement, Joe Bogdanovich, chairman and CEO of Downsound Entertainment, said there were exciting plans in place for the celebration of the festival’s 30th anniversary and the producers wanted to give loyal fans the opportunity to take advantage of the significant savings represented by the early bird promotions.

“Thirty years is an important milestone, and we intend to make this festival our most memorable yet. This week-long event will begin with the Sumfest Family Fun Day on July 16, a fun family event introduced in 2022. The week continues with the Sumfest Street Dance on July 17. Following on July 18 is the long-time favourite All White Party, on July 19 the increasingly popular Blitz, and on July 20 the always exciting Sound Clash will wrap up our pre-events. We will take the main stage at Catherine Hall on Friday, July 21 and Saturday, July 22 for Festival Nights 1 and 2. We are encouraging our loyal supporters to take advantage of this offer by visiting our website – reggaesumfest.com”, he said.

Bogdanovich promised a stellar line-up of artistes, whose names will be rolled out in the upcoming weeks.

“We have had some of the greatest reggae stars on the Reggae Sumfest Stage over the past several years and 2023 promises to be more exceptional. We will be keeping the public updated through a mix of media outlets – newspapers, radio, TV and social media, so keep tuning in to ensure that you are abreast of all that we will be offering in this extravaganza,” he urged fans.

The ‘Sumfest Boss’ recalled that 2022 had been a challenging year for the team as they had to pull together an event, that normally required seven months’ work, in three and a half months. In addition, they undertook to redesign a venue that needed twice the amount of time to be ready for the build-out.

“I am not afraid to say there were some moments of anxiety, but the team was determined to make it happen. Our sponsors also rallied as they, too, had to deal with the constraints of time”.

“The team is already working hard on the preliminary plans for 2023. We are pumped and ready to go and Montego Bay is looking forward to welcoming Reggae fans from all over the world and from across the island to Montego Bay as we celebrate our music, our festival and our culture”, Bogdanovich declared.