Reggae Sumfest new owner Joe Bogdanovich is making some major changes to breathe new life into the annual iconic reggae festival.
Last month we reported that the Downsound Records head purchased Summerfest Productions and is now the new chairman of the company. The event which usually spans three nights including dancehall night and two international nights, will now be scaled down to two nights, Bogdanovich states.
“This will help to re-engerise the event,” he said. “Sumfest is a great Jamaican brand promoting dancehall and reggae. I have a lot of respect for it, but we don’t have an international brand. What we have is a concert that brings international acts.”
Bogdanovich also noted that he will be stepping up the overall quality of the event to compete with other major reggae music festivals around the world including Reggae Geel in Belgium and Summerjam in Germany which are pulling crowds of up to 30,000 people.
“It’s gonna take me a few years to be on that level, but we’re gonna bring acts that people want to see,” he said. “We’re gonna reach out to the Caribbean, America and Europe. We have a marketing plan that will bring tourists here. And remember, this the homeland of reggae music.”
Reggae Sumfest will also be live streamed globally. The event will be held July 17-23 at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex in Montego Bay.
