Barbados Reggae Weekend has been declared a resounding success, with larger crowds, seamless global streaming for the first time and organisers already turning their attention to an even bigger fourth edition next year.
Sponsorship manager Michelle Straughn said the just-concluded three-day festival, held from April 24 to 26 at Kensington Oval, marked a significant step forward for the event.
“This has been a very, very, very good event. I think one of the better events that we’ve had in Barbados for a very long time. Everything came together as we would have hoped and the result speaks for itself when you see how happy the patrons are and the numbers over the last three nights,” she said.
Straughn noted that each night of the festival recorded growth, underscoring the event’s rising appeal. Friday’s Legends Show & Dance surpassed previous editions, while Saturday’s Showdown saw attendance double. By Sunday, the flagship Reggae in the Gardens event had tripled its usual turnout.
‘Bigger and better’
“This year was bigger and better,” she said, adding that the momentum has already sparked planning for next year’s staging.
In a major development for the festival, this year also marked the first time Barbados Reggae Weekend was streamed globally.
“We’ve had a very good response. It was a seamless exercise. It’s something we’re looking forward to doing again next year and going forward. We’re going to take Barbados and Barbados Reggae Weekend across the world.”
Challenges
The move to Kensington Oval, while visually and logistically significant, brought its own challenges. It was the first time the venue hosted the event, requiring organisers to balance large-scale production demands with the need to protect the historic cricket ground.
“The venue is a beautiful venue, there’s no doubt about that, but for a production like this there were some challenges,” Straughn explained. “We worked through them because we still have to make sure that we protect the pitches so that cricket can be played here in Barbados.”
She said the event is part of a wider push to reposition Barbados as a major festival destination.
“We are doing this on behalf of Barbados to help build Barbados as another destination as a festival, because I think we were losing that somewhat when Barbados Reggae Weekend went away.”
This year’s line-up also reflected a strategic shift, blending reggae with R&B to broaden its appeal.
“This is the first year that we have really fused R&B with reggae. Reggae in the Gardens has always been planned to be a fusion event because at some point we would have recycled the reggae artistes. There’s a wide range of artistes out there and we have time. This is only our third year, so more will come.”
There were minor hiccups along the way, including a scheduling issue with Jamaican artiste 450, who was originally billed for the Saturday but instead performed on the Sunday.
“There was a miscommunication and it was resolved. He couldn’t fly on Saturday, so he came in Sunday morning and performed and the patrons loved it.”
Sunday’s event also started later than advertised, a delay Straughn attributed to heightened security protocols at Kensington Oval, particularly with the presence of high-level officials including the Prime Minister and the President.
“We have to go through what’s called a bomb sweep where everyone in the stadium has to leave while checks are done. That process takes time. Then we had sound checks, especially with a production like Fantasia, which requires a lot of coordination.”
Despite the delays, she praised the cooperation of the Barbados Police Service. ( NS)
