For the second time, Dancehall Ketch Up made its way to London for City Splash, one of the UK’s biggest celebrations of Caribbean culture. And unlike our previous visit two years ago, where the weather had other plans, London blessed us with sunshine from start to finish this time around.
Representing Dancehall Ketch Up alongside our London-based Jamaican host Miss Rose, we spent the day moving through the festival grounds, speaking with patrons, capturing moments and experiencing the unique energy that has made City Splash such a special event over the years.
From the moment the gates opened, it was clear that people had come ready to enjoy themselves. Between the food vendors, sound systems, fashion statements and non-stop music, Brockwell Park once again transformed into a meeting point for Caribbean culture and its many influences.
As Miss Rose put it: “I will say how nice the Londoners were when we approached them. They had a true level of humanity that I haven’t seen in a while and that was lovely.”
The People Make The Festival
One thing that stood out throughout the day was the openness of the people. Whether we approached individuals, groups of friends or families, Londoners were incredibly welcoming and happy to share their thoughts and experiences with us.
Those interactions became some of our favourite moments from the festival. While the artists attract the crowds, it is often the people who create the memories.
As a Germany-based platform, this is exactly what interests us. How does Dancehall live and evolve outside of Jamaica? How does it connect communities across borders? What role does it play in places like London?
City Splash Starts Long Before Festival Day
One aspect of City Splash that deserves far more attention is everything that happens before the gates of Brockwell Park even open.
In the week leading up to the festival, City Splash hosted a wide range of community events, conversations, workshops and cultural activations across London. From discussions on Black British identity and Carnival culture to cooking clubs, wellbeing sessions, spoken word performances and music industry talks, the programme reflected the many different layers of Caribbean and African culture beyond the stage.
The festival may officially last one day, but City Splash has clearly grown into something much bigger than a single event. It is becoming a platform for dialogue, education, creativity and community building throughout the week. These initiatives deserve their flowers.
We attended the iluvlive discussion and left feeling that these events deserve even greater visibility. While artists naturally attract most of the headlines, the conversations happening throughout City Splash Week provide important context for the culture being celebrated.
Holding The Energy In The Heat
With temperatures climbing throughout the day, conditions were far from easy for artists and patrons alike. Still, the energy never dropped. While we spent much of the afternoon speaking with attendees, we also made sure to ketch some of the performances ourselves.
Aidonia followed with a strong performance of his own. Despite the heat and a few technical challenges throughout the day, both artists gave the audience everything they had.
Elephant Man once again proved why he remains one of Dancehall’s most entertaining performers. Running through a catalogue packed with hit after hit, the Energy God had the crowd moving from beginning to end.
Throughout the festival, one thing became increasingly clear though: many people were saving something extra for the evening.
The Beres Effect
While the line-up featured several major names including Aidonia, Elephant Man, Gyptian, Queen Ifrica and Jada Kingdom, one artist clearly stood above the rest when it came to anticipation.
Beres Hammond.
As the evening progressed, something interesting happened. During Jada Kingdom’s performance, streams of people could be seen making their way towards The Yaad stage, eager to secure a good spot before the veteran took the stage.
The movement itself became part of the story.
It wasn’t a sign of disrespect towards Jada Kingdom. Instead, it was a reminder of the unique position Beres Hammond holds within Caribbean music. Artists come and go, trends change, but Beres continues to unite generations through his catalogue and timeless songs.
When he finally appeared, the atmosphere shifted immediately. Thousands sang along word for word, creating one of the most memorable moments of the entire festival.
If there was one performance people were going to talk about on their journey home, it was Beres Hammond.
A Reflection On The Dance Community
Looking back, one thing we found ourselves reflecting on was the role of dancers at festivals like City Splash. There was definitely dancer presence throughout the day. We saw UK-based Jamaican dancers representing on stage, and we also noticed even more moments afterwards through social media. The talent is clearly there.
At the same time, compared to our previous visit, we felt less of the collective energy that had stood out to us two years ago. Back then, there was a stronger feeling of Jamaican dancers in London representing together as one wider community. This year, from what we experienced on the ground, it felt a little more separated.
This also raised a bigger question for us: what does the future of dancers at festivals look like? Whose responsibility is it to include them more intentionally? Is it the festival’s role? The artist’s role? The production team’s? Or is it something the wider scene still needs to value more?
Because one thing is clear: if an artist like Elephant Man had a full stage of dancers with him, the performance recap would have looked completely different. Dancehall music and dance belong together. Dancers don’t just add movement, they bring the songs to life, translate the culture visually and help create the moments people remember.
So maybe this is also a conversation worth having. Could festivals book local dancers directly? Could there be a dancer pool available for artists? Could Jamaican dancers in general be included more intentionally in events that celebrate Jamaican culture?
The source is present. The talent is there. And including dancers more visibly would not only benefit the dancers, but also the artists, the festival and the audience.
The Good, The Great & The Growing Pains
While the atmosphere inside the festival was overwhelmingly positive, a recurring topic during our conversations with patrons was the entry process. Several attendees expressed frustration with the VIP entrance experience and long waiting times. Having experienced some confusion ourselves at the Press & Accessibility entrance, where we were sent back and forth between different staff members, we could understand some of the concerns being raised.
More Than Just A Festival
This year’s edition also arrived at a time when the future of festivals in Brockwell Park continues to be debated.
Over the past two years, organisers have faced legal challenges regarding the use of Brockwell Park for large-scale events. Questions around public access, environmental impact and the growing number of festival days in the park have led to court proceedings and public debate.
Despite these challenges, City Splash once again welcomed tens of thousands of people to celebrate Caribbean culture, music and community in the heart of London.
Walking through the festival grounds, it became clear why these conversations matter. On one hand, residents want to protect one of London’s most beloved green spaces. On the other, City Splash has become an important cultural institution, creating a platform for Caribbean voices, businesses, artists and audiences on a scale rarely seen elsewhere in the UK.
The challenge moving forward will be finding ways to preserve both.
Until Next Time
With sunshine overhead, great conversations throughout the day and a legendary Beres Hammond performance closing the night, City Splash 2026 gave us plenty to remember.
A big thank you to everyone who stopped to speak with us, shared their stories and welcomed us into their experience.
We also want to thank the City Splash team and everyone involved in supporting our press access and making it possible for us to document the festival from our perspective.
London continues to be one of the most fascinating places to observe how Jamaican culture travels, evolves and connects people from all walks of life.
Until next time, City Splash.
