Hurricane Melissa has forced Reggae Sumfest, the Caribbean's biggest music festival, to shrink to a single night in 2026 and move to a new venue.
Reggae Sumfest shrinks to a single July night after Hurricane Melissa damaged Montego Bay; Vybz Kartel and Mavado reunite as headliners. The reduction signals Caribbean tourism recovery while supporting western Jamaica's post-disaster rebuilding efforts.
Music · Jamaica
Key Facts
—The festival. Reggae Sumfest is the largest music festival in Jamaica and the Caribbean.
—The change. This year it shrinks from a full week to a single night, on July eighteenth.
—The reason. Hurricane Melissa damaged its usual home in Montego Bay and the surrounding region.
Based on historical data, a hurricane hits Jamaica about once every 10-11 years, on average.
The catastrophic and record-breaking storm is barreling toward Jamaica at speed
Satellite imagery in Jamaica shows the extent of flooding left behind after Hurricane Melissa roared ashore. The storm barrelled…
The countdown is under way for ‘Magnum – A Taste of Reggae Sumfest’, following Thursday’s mid-morning media launch, where…
Jamaica prepares for Melissa's arrival as forecasts predict over 72 hours of hurricane conditions and heavy rainfall.
Melissa's center was forecast to move over Jamaica on Tuesday
