Dream Weekend’s Montego Bay gamble pays off

WESTERN BUREAU:

Dream Weekend made an energetic debut in Montego Bay, earning praise from organisers, business leaders and many patrons, while transportation and logistical hiccups highlighted areas for improvement as the festival settles into its new home.

Speaking with The Gleaner at Bad Beaches, Dream Weekend’s opener, Jason Russell, president of the Montego Bay Chamber of Commerce and Industry, called the first night a “huge success”. He expressed confidence in Dream Entertainment’s commitment to the city. “Dream is committed to being here for at least the next five to 10 years, and based on what we see here, we think that’s going to be a reality,” Russell said .

Russell believes the festival’s impact extends well beyond the entertainment sector.

“To have this many tourists coming for a festival and this many locals coming for a festival has to be a benefit. You have consumers in the space that weren’t there before, and the summer is booming,” he said.

Dream Entertainment officials were equally encouraged by the response after years of planning to expand into Jamaica’s tourism capital.

“We’re overjoyed. This has been a long time in the making,” Dream Entertainment Director Gregory Wright said. “Montego Bay has really received Dream and our patrons.”

While acknowledging that several hotels in the western end of the island are still recovering from Hurricane Melissa, Wright said the company remains confident that the festival will continue growing as additional room stock returns.

The tourism industry is already reporting benefits.

Niurka Garcia, director of sales at RIU Resorts Jamaica, said Dream Weekend contributed to stronger bookings during the opening days of August, with guests arriving primarily from the United States, the United Kingdom and the local market.

“For many of the clients, this is their first time staying in Montego Bay, which is a great opportunity for us as a brand to expose them to a different product and a different atmosphere from what they were used to when enjoying the event in Negril,” Garcia said.

She added that RIU’s adults-only properties made the chain an ideal fit for the festival’s audience and expressed hope that this year’s staging would be “the first of many”.

For veteran Montego Bay promoter and disc jockey Neil Barnes, popularly known as ‘DJ Crazy Neil’, the festival represented more than another weekend of parties.

Barnes said Dream’s arrival vindicated years of effort by local promoters who insisted Montego Bay could successfully host an event of such scale, despite scepticism from some quarters.

“A lot of people ridiculed us. They said it would never work and nobody would come,” Barnes said. “You’re here now, and you can see it for yourself.”

Among patrons, the reviews reflected both excitement and constructive criticism.

Ashley White of Baltimore, Maryland, attending Dream Weekend for the first time, said she loved the music and atmosphere, but felt that communication surrounding parking and transportation needed improvement.

“I’m enjoying the music, but there was no clear communication,” said White. “We didn’t know where to park, we ended up paying for parking twice, and then paid for a shuttle we were told was free.”

Long-time Dream patron Derron Crooks, a Jamaican living in Florida who has attended the festival since 2013, said Montego Bay offered a different experience from Negril.

“Negril was more relaxed and laid-back,” he said. “When the party was over, I could walk back to my hotel. Here, I’ve got to find a shuttle and figure everything out.”

Not every returning patron preferred the former venue.

Kevin Henderson, who travelled from London and has experienced Dream Weekend in both Montego Bay and Negril, dismissed comparisons between the two.

“Vibes are vibes,” he laughed. “Equal greatness.”

Others experiencing Dream Weekend for the first time left convinced they would return.

Janet Gonzalez, a visitor from the Bronx, New York, described the festival as “wonderful”, adding: “We had so much fun, and I recommend everybody to come here for Dream Weekend. It’s my first time, and it won’t be my last.”

Another first-time patron praised the energy throughout the venue, joking that if she had one request it would be for “reggae all night”, because “I’m in Jamaica”.

janet.silvera@gleanerjm.com