Sizzla and Christopher Martin to Headline Historic Reggae Festival in Sierra Leone

Jamaican icons Sizzla, Christopher Martin and Queen Ifrica, alongside local artistes, lead a landmark cultural exchange festival as Sierra Leone hosts its first major reggae event, spotlighting the strengthening ties between both governments and nations.

L-R: Queen Ifrica, Sizzla Kalonji, Christopher Martin

Jamaican reggae icon Sizzla Kalonji, alongside soulful crooner Christopher Martin and veteran singer Queen Ifrica, is set to headline the One Nation Reggae Festival, the first-ever major reggae concert in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The historic event will take place on November 28, 2025, as part of a week-long celebration from November 25–30. Local Sierra Leonean performers will also join the lineup, further highlighting the festival’s commitment to cultural unity.

Organized by the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs of Sierra Leone, the festival carries the theme “Shared Roots, Shared Rhythm - One Love, One Vibe.” Its mission is to honor the deep historic and cultural ties between Africa and the Caribbean, drawing on reggae’s timeless messages of peace, freedom, resilience, and unity.

The festival’s foundation was laid in 2023, when Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism, Hon. Edmund Bartlett, met with Sierra Leone’s then-Minister of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Dr. Memunatu Pratt (now Nabeela Tunis), to strengthen bilateral ties. Their collaboration focused on tourism development, cultural exchange, marketing partnerships, and improved air connectivity, culminating in the opening of Sierra Leone’s first-ever consulate in Jamaica, a milestone in bridging the African and Caribbean cultural economies.

Also in 2023, Kingston Beach Bar made history by opening the first Jamaican restaurant in Sierra Leone, establishing a vibrant culinary and cultural link that helped pave the way for the growing Caribbean presence now emerging in the country. The Jamaican artistes are also expected to visit the restaurant during their time in Sierra Leone.

Beyond the performances, the One Nation Reggae Festival will offer workshops, panel discussions, fashion and food fair, craft markets and creative industry forums focused on music production, cultural entrepreneurship, and the role of the arts in sustainable development.