Vybz Kartel set for New Year’s return concert in Kingston

Weeks after his release from prison following the successful appeal of his murder conviction, Vybz Kartel sets a date for his much-anticipated return to the stage.

Kartel and Downsound Entertainment confirmed the dancehall legend’s first show following his extended incarceration, titled Freedom Street, will be on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31). The show will take place at the National Stadium in Kingston, with tickets going on sale on Aug. 31.

 

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Since Kartel secured his freedom on Jul. 31, fans anticipated news of a potential comeback concert immediately upon hearing the news. The deejay recently signed a contract with Joe Bogdanovich’s Downsound for the show, which kicks off a planned Caribbean tour to mark his return. The controversial entertainer recently stated during his first post-prison interview on Entertainment Report that he plans to do shows in St. Vincent and Barbados, among other islands.

Freedom Street will mark the first Vybz Kartel concert since August 2011 in Tobago, weeks before his arrest and subsequent murder charges. While his first murder case was dismissed, he received a guilty verdict in 2014 for the August 2011 murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams in Havendale, St. Andrew. Kartel, whose real name is Adidja Palmer, appealed the verdict multiple times before it went to the U.K.’s Privy Council. The U.K.’s highest court struck down the convictions of him and his co-accused (Shawn Storm, Kahira Jones, Andre St. John), citing irregularities during the trial.

Since emerging from prison, Kartel released an EP, First Week Out, and has largely been spending time with his family and fiancee, Sidem Ozturk.