Vanessa Bling Calls for All-Women Dancehall Headline Night at Barclays Center

Following Masicka’s packed Barclays Center show, Vanessa Bling believes dancehall’s leading women are ready for an arena night of their own, an idea promoter CJ Milan says “will definitely happen.”

Vanessa Bling during her cameo appearance at Masicka’s Barclays Center show.

Dancehall has returned to the arena spotlight in a major way over the past year, with some of the genre’s biggest names taking over Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Following Masicka’s packed headlining show on Saturday night, dancehall artiste Vanessa Bling, who made a cameo during the show, seized the moment to ask whether the time has come for the women of the genre to command the arena on their own.

Vanessa Bling floated the idea of an all-female dancehall showcase at Barclays Center. “I know women in dancehall would fill the Barclays Center Arena. Imagine all your favorite female headliners one night,” she shared in an Instagram post.

U.S.-based promoter CJ Milan, who has been behind several major dancehall arena shows across the United States through her Reggae Fest Tour brand, agreed with the idea. Responding to a comment about the possibility of the women getting their opportunity at Barclays, Milan wrote: “It will definitely happen.”

Over the past 2 years, Vybz Kartel has headlined Barclays Center twice, while Bounty Killer, Alkaline and, most recently, Masicka have each commanded major shows at the prestigious Brooklyn arena. Female stars including Spice, Shenseea and Vanessa Bling have also appeared as special guests during some of those events.

With dancehall proving its ability to repeatedly draw major arena crowds in New York, Vanessa Bling’s idea could help propel the women of the genre toward their own major arena moment.