The sudden news of Sting being postponed came as a shock to many. While it was reported that the annual Boxing Day event was postponed due to a production company withdrawing from the event, many social media users have been sharing their belief that Vybz Kartel’s Freedom Street concert was influential in Sting being postponed this year.
However, Vybz Kartel does not share that sentiment. During an interview, Kartel told Onstage host Winford Williams that his event played no part in the event being postponed. He recalled multiple occasions when other events were scheduled closely together and noted that it is very common in Jamaica for several events to occur during the festive season.
Vybz Kartel also expressed that it was sad to see Sting being postponed because of the impact it has on the Jamaican music culture. He noted that Sting helps emerging artists gain recognition and reflected that the iconic show also helped him to gain recognition in the earlier stages of his career. “It unfortunate…Whole heap a giant fawod outta Sting, including Vybz Kartel…It sad for the music and for the industry and the fans,” he said.
Watch the clip of Vybz Kartel’s interview below:
The announcement that Sting’s 2024 staging was postponed was made hours before it was scheduled to begin. The event was going to be hosted at Jamworld on Boxing Day, but videos of the empty venue soon started surfacing online. Some of the videos showcased the equipment being packed away.
Sting has been hosted in Jamaica for 40 years, and it was never postponed during that time. Even in severe weather conditions, the iconic event continued to reign and bring unique talents together, attracting an international audience. Given that it is postponed comes just as dancehall icon Vybz Kartel is hosting his first concert after spending more than a decade in prison, the public has indicated that no other event would survive in the same month as Vybz Kartel’s grand event show.
However, the head of Supreme Promotions Ltd. Isaiah Laing told the Jamaica Observer that it was beyond his control. The reports stated that Clearsound Production Services Group withdrew from the event just before it was scheduled to begin. Clearsound Production Services Group was contracted to handle the stage and sound.
As a result of the postponed event, “hundreds of vendors and concessionaires” who invested in the event would suffer a loss and the “dozens of artistes,” including Tommy Lee Sparta, Pablo YG, Shane O, Yaksta, Jeff Fullyauto, Inpha Reblitive, and Jamal, who intended to leave a big impression, would not get to see the event this year.
Laing said the company received a $1 million deposit on Tuesday, and the balance of $6.5 million was also transferred to them during the week. However, he said it was delayed due to the public holidays. Meanwhile, the production company said there were “material breaches” and withdrew their team and equipment from the venue. The company added that Laing did not only pay $1 million on the last day when he should have sent the entire sum.
