Reggae Sumfest CEO Josef “Joe” Bogdanovich on Sunday, April 13, confirmed iconic Dancehall King Vybz Kartel for Reggae Sumfest 2025.

Bogdanovich flew in from Kingston, Jamaica last weekend to watch Kartel deliver back-to-back sold-out performances, on Friday and Saturday, at the 19,000-seat Barclays Center, downtown Brooklyn.

While in Brooklyn, the Downsound Entertainment boss also took time to speak with Caribbean Life about the upcoming 34th edition of Reggae Sumfest, scheduled for Jul. 13–19, 2025, at the Catherine Hall Entertainment Complex in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

“The countdown is now on,” he said, promising “an unforgettable showcase of Jamaican music” and adding that Vybz Kartel will headline the 2025 staging of the festival.

“He (Kartel) will be on stage for about an hour, and it will be a tight set,” Bogdanovich said. “He does things differently every time. Hopefully, it’ll be a different set list—which I believe it will be.

“He’s not an AI guy; he’s a real guy,” he added. “The sky continues to be the limit for him.”

Joining Kartel on the star-studded lineup on Friday night, Bogdanovich disclosed will be Masicka, Tommy Lee Sparta, Govana, Skeng, D’Yani, Laden, Shaneil Muir, and Jah Fabio, while Saturday will feature Sizzla Kalonji, Tarrus Riley, Protoje, Shenseea, Lala Ike, Fantan Mojah, I-Wayne, Pressure and Bugle.

When speaking about the high production standards for Reggae Sumfest, Bogdanovich said, “I think our track record speaks for itself. We’ve done a lot of shows, especially with Reggae Sumfest being 34 years old.

“We’ve certainly raised the level of Sumfest as an international festival,” he added. “We aim to compete with the best in the world while lifting reggae and dancehall music to the level of global respect it deserves.

“We do things on time. We do the production right. We get the communication with the artist right to understand that you have to raise your game and be more responsible,” he continued.

Bogdanovich praised Kartel’s “raw and emotional” performance Friday night, telling Caribbean Life it was a powerful showcase of the artist’s growth and talent.

“It was a great celebration…It was him [Kartel] in a raw kind of way,” he said. “He was emotional. He gave it to them in a way that was natural.

“He enjoyed himself, and I thought he gave a very good performance,” Bogdanovich added. “He was emotional and gave it to them in a way that was natural. I thought it was well done.”

Bogdanovich continued to shower praise on Kartel’s historic performance – 20 years after he last visited New York.

“He is just one of those gifted entertainers who is right up there with the best in the world, as far as I’m concerned,” he said. “He’s thinking a lot differently than he used to—he’s gracious, thankful, and it’s good to see that type of openness that he never had before.

“He is growing, making the right decisions, and developing in a very nice way,” Bogdanovich added.