Montego Bay, Jamaica is more than home to sunny beaches, lush greenery, all-inclusive resorts and general “island vibes.” Once a year, it’s also home to the biggest Reggae music and cultural festival in the Caribbean: Reggae Sumfest
ESSENCE was on the ground for this year’s festivities, which beyond the main two-night concert event, included 7 other events across a full week of celebration of Jamaican music, cuisine, artisan culture, and local spirits. From the Soundclash to the Rum Festival, our appetites were primed for the main event that took place at MoBay’s Catherine Hall on July 19 and 20.
Festivalgoers were all too ready to brave the mud to catch their favorite artists as daily downpours wet the performance field before doors opened on both nights. Kicking off around 10 pm and running until well beyond 6:30 am, Reggae Sumfest is certainly not for the faint of energy or early resters. A post-dinner espresso is a must to prep for the long night of island sounds ahead.
Night one found emerging Reggae star YG Marley taking the stage to perform his viral hit “Priase Jah in the Moonlight.” Fans expected the new star to perform many of his new songs for the first time, but what they did not expect was a cameo from his brother Zion Marley, and his iconic mother Ms. Lauryn Hill, who commanded the stage with performances of her own classics like “X Factor, “Lost One,” and even an impromptu mother-son performance alongside YG of his grandfather Bob Marley’s classic “Turn Your Lights Down Low.”
The night continued with performances from Dancehall titan Dexta Daps, Reggae superstar Capleton, and a crowd-activating set from Teejay at sunrise with an unforgettable performance of his omnipresent smash hit “Drift.”
Night Two was for lovers of the classics and more mellow vibes, with sultry sets from Sevana, 80’s/90’s Gold Skool classics, and appearances from Beres Hammond and Babyface.
Perhaps the evening’s highlight was the debut performance of hometown artist Nigy Boy, the up-and-coming dancehall star whose hit “Continent” has been making waves since its release in early 2024. Just 22 years old, the visually impaired dancehall star also just recently graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in history and political science and is currently prepping for his law degree. But in the meantime, he took to the stage for the first time ever in the place he was born.
Take a look at some of the hottest moments from the Reggae Sumfest stage this year:
The grandson of Reggae legend Bob Marley and son of Hip-Hop legend Miss Lauryn Hill hit the stage for his debut performance at Sumfest 2024.
The emerging Reggae star hit the stage to perform songs like Freedom,” “Young Marley,” and of course his smash hit “Praise Jah in the Moonlight.”
The rap superstar joined her sons – as Zion Marley joined his brother onstage for a performance earlier in the set – and briefly tookover performing tracks like “Lost One,” “X Factor” and “Everything is Everything.”
Mother and son rocked the crowd together as family.
The audience was treated to an impromptu performance of “Turn Your Lights Down Low” from the mother-son duo.
The dancehall titan took the stage in all-white and kept crowd control until around 4am.
In true style of the genre, Daps put on quite a show with one of his (very flexible) dancers on a mattress onstage.
The artist showed what a man of the people he is and greeted excited fans at the foot of the stage while performing.
The Godfather of Lovers Rock took to the stage on night two and lulled the crowd into crooning along and slow dancing the night away.
