Street party vibe as UDC Fireworks Festival rings in New Year

The Urban Development Corporation’s (UDC) Fireworks Festival returns this Wednesday, December 31, continuing a cherished national tradition that brings Jamaicans together as the year draws to a close.

The decision to proceed with the festival comes against the backdrop of ongoing national recovery efforts. The UDC, in a release, “underscored the importance of creating safe, uplifting spaces where families and communities can come together, reconnect, and usher in the new year with a renewed sense of hope, partaking in activities support the mental well-being and a feeling of normalcy”.

“After a challenging period for many Jamaicans, moments of togetherness are especially important,” Norman Brown, chairman of the Urban Development Corporation is quoted in the release. “The Fireworks Festival has always been about bringing people together in shared spaces, strengthening community bonds, and creating positive moments that lift spirits.”

It was announced earlier this month that this year’s festival takes on added meaning as it expands to St Elizabeth and Westmoreland, ensuring that more communities, particularly those hardest hit by the hurricane, can share in the experience. While the iconic fireworks display will remain the centrepiece of each event, the overall experience will focus on meaningful, community-oriented celebration. There will be no live performances this year, the UDC stated in a release, but noted that “the approach will resemble a street party, with well-known DJs curating engaging musical selections leading up to the fireworks display”.

In former years, the Fireworks Festival has seen performances from the best talents in Jamaica, across the three venues - Kingston, Ocho Rios and Montego Bay. Among those who have made the New Year’s Eve event memorable over the years are: Chalice, Third World, Nadine Sutherland, Alaine, George Nooks, Busy Signal, Bounty Killer, Tony Rebel, Etana, Sevana, Sista Patt, Agent Sasco, DJ Nicholas, Admiral Bailey, Gramps Morgan, Samory-I, Ras-I, D’Yani, Mortimer, Joby Jay, Kevin Downswell, Humble, Lubert Levy, Levy’s Heritage , Rondell Positive, Jermaine Edwards, Yaksta and Chi Ching Ching.

A key feature of this year’s Festival will be the continued inclusion of kiddies’ villages at all locations, providing safe, exciting spaces for children to enjoy activities, entertainment, and simple joys designed especially for them.

“The adjustments to this year’s format were made deliberately and with care,” said Bobby Honeyghan, general manager of the UDC. “Our goal was to preserve the spirit of the Fireworks Festival while being mindful of the national context. We want to create opportunities for meaningful fun, togetherness, and ringing in the new year in a way that reflects resilience, optimism, and consideration for our communities.”

As customary, the UDC will host Fireworks Festival events in Kingston, Montego Bay, and Ocho Rios, with this year’s expansion welcoming Black River in St. Elizabeth and Negril in Westmoreland into the national celebration.

The theme for this year’s festival is ‘Life, Love, Recovery.