Wickie Wackie Music Festival 2026
All photos shot by Jik Reuben. Life is often about compartmentalizing both joy and pain, sometimes in equal measure.
Life is often about compartmentalizing both joy and pain, sometimes in equal measure. This was the task of this current iteration of the Wickie Wackie Music Festival. Last time around in 2025, this concert featured the musical stylings of Max Romero and Third World, in its current full compliment, with original member Stephen ‘Cat’ Coore. Sadly, both of those great men have completed their earthborn cycles and now have transitioned to take their rightful place amongst the constellation.
In 2026, though, the organizers of the Wickie Wackie Music Festival did a masterful job of straddling the very fine line between celebration and reverence for those men and their wonderful contributions to the Jamaican music culture and the global music culture overall.
Slated for a three-day extravaganza, right smack dab in the middle of the island’s observances of reggae month, the Wickie Wackie Music Festival aimed to entice the patronage of young and old alike. With specific days curated for specialized tastes. Thursday the 12th: Future – highlighting younger acts making a name for themselves in the industry, Friday the 13th: Roots Clash – featuring international sounds vying for the crown for the night and Saturday the 14th: Foundation – the night that brings all of the headliners and a few special guests complete with a special tribute to Cat Coore.
BACKAYARD was there for most of the festivities and had comprehensive coverage of it all. So join us and relive what has become an event that forces lovers of all genres of Jamaican music to circle dates on the calendar whenever the Wickie Wackie Music Festival is announced no matter the year.
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