Vybz Kartel and Mavado to Headline Reggae Sumfest 2026 in Gaza vs Gully Showdown

The former rivals will share the stage in Jamaica after almost 20 years, as the dancehall giants reunite at Plantation Cove in St Ann. Reggae Sumfest announced the news on Friday

Vybz Kartel and Mavado to share the stage in Jamaica after 20 Years

Nearly 20 years after their iconic 2008 Sting showdown, dancehall heavyweights Vybz Kartel and Mavado are set to share the stage once again under the banner of Gaza vs. Gully on July 18, 2026, at Plantation Cove in St Ann.

The defining Gaza vs. Gully rivalry, which shaped a generation of dancehall fans, will serve as the main event for this year’s Reggae Sumfest.

The announcement was made by the event’s organizers in a social media post on Friday. “A decade of rivalry… a lifetime of hits… and now the energy of two legends meeting on one stage in a moment set to shake dancehall history. 18 years in the making… this is a taste of Reggae Sumfest, where the culture, the music, and the legacy come alive,” Reggae Sumfest said in the caption.

It follows the previous announcement of two Gaza vs. Gully nights under Vybz Kartel’s Freedom Street banner, scheduled for September 11–13 in Malta, with two of the shows already announced as sold out.

The former rivals, who led one of the most pivotal chapters in Jamaica’s dancehall history, are now expected to draw fans from across the world, with additional international dates also being speculated.

For Vybz Kartel, it will mark the second consecutive year headlining Reggae Sumfest, after commanding the stage last year in front of more than 30,000 patrons, where he was crowned the newly named King of Dancehall by Spice.