In an exclusive interview with World Music Views, promoter CJ Milan confirmed that Vybz Kartel will return to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Friday, August 29, to headline Massive Weekend, a flagship dancehall and reggae celebration set to ignite Labor Day festivities in New York City.
“This show is going to be Friday, August 29, Labor Day weekend—so we’re kicking off Massive Weekend with Kartel,” Milan told WMV. The event follows Kartel’s two sold-out shows at Barclays in April, which marked his first U.S. performances in over 20 years.
Though there was strong demand for a third April show, according to Milan, the logistics made it unworkable at the time. “We could’ve done it right away, but that was a lot. Two back-to-back shows, plus vocals to prep and an after-party at Brooklyn Paramount—it just made more sense to save it for Labor Day weekend,” she explained.
The show will be part of the Reggae Fest: Massive series, which Milan launched last year as a high-end production platform to elevate dancehall and reggae into premier event spaces. “This is the second staging of Massive Weekend, and this year it’s Friday and Saturday at Barclays. Friday night is all Kartel.”
When asked why New York audiences are especially hungry for artists like Kartel and Buju Banton, Milan didn’t hesitate: “New York is the Mecca of dancehall and reggae in the U.S. For Labor Day, people fly in from everywhere.”
Milan, who has been transforming how dancehall is presented in the U.S., one event at a time, said she remains commitment to elite-level sound and visuals. “Even the people who get $80 tickets, they should get a $1,000 sound quality. We test the audio from the floor to the top of the arena because I want everyone to hear it clearly.”
She also teased a major surprise headliner for Saturday night’s show, which she says will remain under wraps until the moment of the event. “That lineup is one of the best I’ve seen in dancehall,” she said. “No one’s going to know who it is until that night.”
CJ Milan is also advocating for more formal recognition of dancehall as a standalone genre on platforms like Ticketmaster. “They need to add a dancehall category—not just reggae. I’ve already submitted Vybz Kartel’s images and listings myself. We need to see the faces of these artists.”
As the genre surges in popularity across major U.S. markets, Milan is leading the charge—turning dancehall into a premier live experience with global reach. “That’s my favorite part: the production. I love what I do, and the artists love that I care about it.”
