Fanatic Festival Heads to Ocho Rios for First Kingston Departure
After four years and 11 stagings in Kingston, Fanatic Festival is taking its high-energy dancehall experience to the north coast for the first time, with Campari Fanatic Ochi set to open Appleton Estate Republic Weekend 2026 on Friday, October 16.
The festival will take over Plantation Cove in Ocho Rios from 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., marking a significant expansion for an event series that launched in 2022 and has built a following among Jamaica's young partygoing audience.
Fanatic's Ocho Rios staging will form the opening experience of the five-event Republic Weekend lineup, which runs from October 16–19. The festival will be followed by Rosé N Roses and Night Carnival on Saturday, Republic Beach Club on Sunday and #SSS Republic Bush on Heroes Day Monday.
Music remains at the centre of Fanatic's format, with DJ juggling, MC interaction, live performances and crowd participation driving an experience designed around continuous entertainment rather than a traditional concert structure.
For its Ocho Rios debut, Feloni19 will headline the performance lineup, joined by Ai Milly, Top Banks, C9 and Shewahdexta.
The DJ and selector lineup will feature Fyahman & Vinchi, DJ Devakidd, Mac & Baba, DJ Kryptic and Zacky & Jubba, who will be responsible for maintaining the party atmosphere throughout the night.
The event will carry an EDEN theme, with dark green, tan, brown and other natural tones shaping the visual identity and tropical aesthetic of the Ocho Rios staging.
Justin Campbell, Director of CNA Entertainment, said the move represents an important moment for the festival while maintaining the energy that has defined its previous stagings.
“The look may change. The location may change. But that feeling when the party catches fire? That stays with us,” Campbell said during the Republic Weekend media launch.
He also described Fanatic's position as the opening event of Republic Weekend as an opportunity to establish the momentum for the four-day experience.
“Somebody has to set the pace. It might as well be us,” he added.
The move north comes following Fanatic's most recent Kingston staging in July, which organisers said exceeded their expectations in attendance. The event featured performances from Malie Donn, Eddy G Bomba, Merkz, Feloni19 and Ymo G, before organisers revealed Ocho Rios as the festival's next destination.
For CNA Entertainment, the producers of Fanatic Festival, the October 16 staging represents the first opportunity to take the established Kingston event into another market while retaining the elements that have shaped its identity over the past four years.
“This is the first Fanatic Festival outside Kingston. That is a big deal,” Campbell said. “You do not have to come to Kingston. Fanatic is coming to Ochi.”
Campari serves as title sponsor, with Appleton Estate, Espolòn Tequila, Coca-Cola, Worthy Park Rum Mix and Legend among the supporting brands and lifestyle partners involved in the Republic Weekend campaign.
Campari Fanatic Ochi takes place Friday, October 16 at Plantation Cove, Ocho Rios, from 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Pre-sold tickets are priced at J$4,000 and are available through the Republic Weekend website.
