City Splash Founder Ben Ryan Calls This Era “The Most Exciting Moment for Dancehall”

Exclusive interview: Ben Ryan discusses City Splash’s growth to 60,000 tickets, rising competition in the UK live music market, and the importance of creating opportunities for the next generation of Caribbean artistes

City Splash founder and managing director Ben Ryan

UK has one of the biggest markets for Caribbean music and culture, and City Splash has established itself as one of the leading music festivals on the ground. Since its debut in 2021, the festival has grown alongside Dancehall’s expanding international footprint, building a platform for Jamaican artistes while demonstrating the genre’s capacity to draw large audiences beyond the island.

City Splash founder and managing director Ben Ryan has witnessed this evolution firsthand. Once a market with relatively few large-scale Dancehall events, the UK has seen growing investment from promoters and increasing demand for Jamaican artistes, reflecting the genre’s expanding international appeal.

“This is the most exciting moment for Dancehall events and shows in the UK for a long time,” he says in an exclusive interview with Kaboom Magazine. “When we entered in 2021, there wasn’t an abundance of wide-scale Dancehall events and shows, but over six years, we’ve seen that emerge. This is a testament to Dancehall artistes doing the right thing by engaging with their audiences and creating fanbases.”

“This is the most exciting moment for Dancehall events and shows in the UK for a long time. We’ve been able to showcase that there is a large-scale demand for Dancehall currently. We’re doing 55k–60k tickets, and Dancehall has been prominent in that growth”

The change is reflected in City Splash’s own growth. The festival has helped demonstrate the commercial potential of Caribbean music at scale, with the arrival of more multinational promoters. This signals a broader shift in Dancehall’s growth internationally.

“We’ve been able to showcase that there is a large-scale demand for Dancehall currently. We’re doing 55k–60k tickets, and Dancehall has been prominent in that growth. I am now seeing more multinational promoters enter the market, and this proves that there is a strong economic case for doing Dancehall shows. The landscape of Dancehall has changed tremendously.”

City Splash’s growth reflects not only the demand for Jamaican music in the UK, but also the cultural connection that sustains it. With a large Caribbean community in London eager to celebrate its heritage, the festival is built around representing the people and values at the heart of the culture.

Ben Ryan. “The landscape of Dancehall has changed tremendously.”

“There’s a huge Caribbean community in London, and they love to celebrate the culture,” Ben says. “When we put together a lineup, we want to highlight that. Our lineup is like assembling a football team. City Splash ensures we book for each person that serves the community. We focus on artistes that are holding up the culture.”

The festival’s commitment extends beyond Dancehall to Reggae, where Rastafari artistes play a key role in spreading messages of love, unity and positivity while preserving the cultural values at the heart of Jamaican music. “We always have the balance of roots reggae and dancehall,” Ben explains. “One of the things that inspire the choices is choosing a Rastafari artiste that has a big enough following, profile and catalogue to preach the message of love on the main stage. The message they are sending and promoting is positivity, and we want that to resonate with our audience.”

For its next edition in 2027, City Splash’s pursuit of Reggae superstar Damian Marley has finally paid off, securing an artiste the festival has wanted for years. With his limited European appearances, the booking marks a major achievement for the London festival. “Damian is someone we’ve wanted for a long time. He doesn’t perform much in Europe,” Ben Ryan shares.

While Reggae’s message of love and positivity remains central to City Splash, its Dancehall bookings highlight the genre’s strength and artistry. For its upcoming indoor show, the festival has secured Masicka and Spice, two standout performers. Masicka’s growing influence and the success of his latest album made him a long-awaited booking, while Spice’s commanding stage presence brings her own energy to the lineup.

“Masicka arguably is definitely one of the most prominent dancehall artistes in the culture right now, especially with his outstanding album. We’ve wanted to book him for a while now,” Ben explains. “As it relates to Spice, she is a great entertainer and the perfect performer.”

As the market grows, so does the competition for artistes capable of drawing large crowds. The emergence of more large-scale Reggae and Dancehall festivals has changed the booking process, pushing City Splash to secure talent earlier and plan further ahead, reflecting how much the market has developed.

“Masicka arguably is definitely one of the most prominent dancehall artistes in the culture right now” (Photo: Abigail Morris)

“We’re booking earlier now because there are more promoters in the market,” he says. “There has always been promoters, but what has happened now is that these promoters are putting on larger-scale events. This has created competition for booking bigger artistes, so we have to book earlier.”

Ben sees the rise of similar festivals as evidence of City Splash’s role in building demand for Caribbean music on a larger scale. In an increasingly competitive market, exclusive bookings help maintain an artiste’s appeal, while City Splash’s growing reputation has made it a sought-after platform for major Caribbean acts.

“When we started, there was nothing else like what we offer now,” he recalls. “There have been festivals that have emerged that operate in the same space as us, however, that is just a testament to the great work we’ve done.”

As part of its commitment to balancing generations, last year’s festival featured Reggae legend Beres Hammond following an eight-year absence, alongside Dancehall veterans Aidonia and Elephant Man. Their inclusion reflects City Splash’s dedication to honouring the artistes who shaped the culture while embracing the new generation pushing it forward. “You have to pay homage to the legends. Everyone is a piece of the puzzle. Both old and new create a complete puzzle,” Ryan explains. “The legends are just as important as the younger generation.”

Beres Hammond during his City Splash set. “Everyone is a piece of the puzzle.” (Photo: Stony Johnson)

Alongside its celebration of veteran artistes, City Splash continues to support emerging Caribbean talent through “Rise Up,” its in-house artiste development programme. Last year’s participants included Tielo Lanez and Tanzie, among others. The initiative selects five to six promising artistes for a week-long residency in London, offering performance opportunities at the festival and smaller industry events, alongside visits to major music companies.

“Tielo came through us on our Rise Up programme,” Ben elabortes. “Our in-house artiste development programme identifies five to six emerging Caribbean artistes for a week-long residency in London, where they perform at City Splash and industry events. We also take them to Spotify, BBC and Amazon to network with executives and gain insight into the music business.”.”

The selection process is guided by a combination of factors, including an artiste’s growing buzz, exceptional talent and the strength of their team’s strategy. “They’re selected by the exciting buzz they have around them, exceptional talent or their team has very clever plan we support. So it’s a combination. We prioritise giving back.”

That investment reflects Ben’s enthusiasm for Dancehall’s evolution, as younger artistes develop their own identities through music and online platforms. Rather than seeing their fresh sounds and approaches as a departure from the culture, he views them as part of the genre’s continued growth.

“I am really impressed with the new generation of Dancehall artistes. They’re very innovative,” he notes. “People will say, ‘That’s not what it was,’ but that’s the beauty of it. Each generation has to create their own identity and lane, and I want to create space for that in City Splash.”

Dancehall’s international growth relies on both its rich legacy and the younger artistes pushing the genre forward. City Splash continues to bring these generations together, showcasing Jamaican music to wider audiences while honouring its cultural roots.

“In the UK, we’ve been able to present the music and culture in a genuine and intentional way, and that makes audiences want to indulge and take pride in Caribbean culture,” Ben emphasises. “Dancehall is first-class music, so we ensure that we market it as such.”

With further developments planned for 2027, City Splash aims to build on its growing momentum, not only by bringing bigger names to the stage but also by strengthening its platform for Caribbean culture and the next generation of artistes.

Dancehall star Aidonia with newcomer Tielo Lanez, who came through the Rise Up programme. (photo: Stony Johnson)