Mortimer and Jonkunnu featured at the ArtWalk Festival
Downtown Kingston came alive with music, movement, visual art, and community pride as the ArtWalk Festival transformed the city into an open-air celebration of Jamaica’s creative power and cultural heritage. Hosted by Arts NGO Kingston Creative, the festival brought together over 2000 guests, with 100 artists, performers, vendors, cultural institutions, and residents for a full day of immersive experiences in Church Street and Water Lane in the Downtown Kingston Art District.
The festival opened with a moment of silence for the artist Mazola from Treasure Beach and followed with a walk-through of artisan and food vendor booths, inviting patrons to meet creators, learn about their work, and support local enterprises. Throughout the day, free Mural and Augmented Reality Art Tours departed from the Tours Desk, guiding participants through Downtown Kingston’s evolving public art landscape, to the IOJ and National Gallery, and reinforcing the area’s identity as a living cultural district.
A dynamic procession by the Southern Strikers Marching Band from Rae Town set the tone early, drawing crowds into the heart of the festival and showcasing the power of community-based performance. Cultural performances continued with a dance presentation by the Tivoli Dance Troupe, bringing movement and storytelling from neighbouring Tivoli Gardens to the main stage. This was followed by a special spotlight on Kingston’s skate culture, featuring the Jamaica Skate Culture Foundation and a live skateboarding demonstration with a mobile skate park, sponsored by the French and German Embassies, underscoring the diversity of creative expression shaping urban Kingston.
A key highlight of the day was the donor plaque unveiling ceremony, where Kingston Creative formally recognized partners contributing to the development of the Downtown Kingston Art District. Nicole Burgher from the PAC Kingston Airport Limited (PACKAL), Anuoke Matthews, Great Wall Motors (Stewarts Auto Jamaica),and Michael Maxwell from Digital Video Concepts, were acknowledged for their support. Executive Director Andrea Dempster Chung outlined Kingston Creative’s vision for the district, and reflected on the powerful contribution of the First 100 members to a transformed Downtown.
One of the most anticipated moments was the appearance of the Jonkunnu band, Jamaica’s iconic Christmas tradition. Through performance and dialogue with the band leader, audiences were taken on a journey through the history, symbolism, African roots, and regional variations of Jonkunnu, emphasizing the importance of intergenerational cultural transmission.
As the afternoon unfolded, live music sets by Karbon, Bjorn, and SnaggaPuss energized the stage, while continued vendor spotlights encouraged patrons to support artisans, including creators from Treasure Beach and Westmoreland. The return of Jonkunnu later in the day reinforced the festival’s rhythmic flow between heritage and contemporary expression.
The festival culminated in a powerful headline performance by Grammy Award–nominated artist Mortimer, drawing a large and enthusiastic crowd, who sang along word for word. His soulful reggae set closed the day on a high note.
The ArtWalk Festival, now in its 8th year, reaffirms Downtown Kingston as a space where creativity, commerce, and community intersect. Through live performance, visual storytelling, cultural education, and economic opportunity, the festival demonstrated the role of the creative sector in urban revitalization and cultural resilience.
The Artwalk festival is funded by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), the Jamaica Tourist Board and Great Wall Motors. Kingston Creative extends thanks to all artists, vendors, partners, donors, volunteers, and attendees who made ArtWalk Festival a success.
