Plantation Cove ready for Mavado

As fans are now bracing for Mavado's upcoming concert, Vonni Koromanti Meikle, corporate affairs and compliance manager at Plantation Cove, said there is only one place to be this Christmas season.

"Mavado is back, we are happy to have him, and we're happy to welcome Reggae Fest. We are looking forward to a Christmas to remember, where people will be flying in from all over. Mavado has not performed in Jamaica for almost [a decade], so to get the sting and buzz that you need in this Christmas is gonna be at this show," Koromanti Meikle told THE STAR.

"The only stinging and buzzing is happening on the 27th of December - Boxing Day is dead - we have buried Boxing Day, and it's December the 27th that all the buzzing and stinging is gonna happen, and it's gonna be with Mavado," she added with a laugh. The CJ Milan's production, Reggae Fest -- The Return Of The Gully Gad Mavado, is slated for Plantation Cove in Priory, St Ann. The show marks the debut staging of the Reggae Fest Tour in Jamaica, with Mavado headlining.

Koromanti Meikle said the venue is "ready and waiting" to welcome Mavado, given name David Brooks, and his friends.

"Plantation Cove is basically the middle of Jamaica - you can come in from Montego Bay and get to us in an hour, come from Kingston and get to us in an hour and 20 minutes. Also, Boscobel [and two other] major airports serve Plantation Cove with ease, and we have over 50 acres of parking. Where else in Jamaica are you going to find that? Further, we are a venue that can be configured for any particular purpose. Plantation is the venue of venues with over a 100 acres [of land space] for the venue," she said, while praising the event's promoter, CJ Milan.

"Every show which is of note would like to be at Plantation Cove. But we always want to be meticulous in not just the reigning act, but also the promoter, and with Mavado's show, it's a compelling mix of woman power because my sister CJ Milan is a powerhouse," she said.

Though remaining tight-lipped about the artiste line-up, Koromanti Meikle revealed that the entertainment package will host a great number of "top-tier acts and people we thought were enemies who are now best friends". Early bird tickets go on sale on Thursday.

She said with plans already set in place with the major stakeholders, police and the CEO of the St Ann Municipal Corportation, the ease on traffic will be a breeze as the necessary arrangements are being made to have two additional entrance points, access to utilise the venues' helipad, and also incentives for patrons who arrive on time.

"It's gonna be the place to be because we are not only catering for patrons but for the artistes and VIPs as well who wanna come in and land in style and comfort; it's gonna be a fabulous show. Mr Brooks is gonna give a performance of a lifetime, and Jamaica has been waiting a long time for it. It's really the return of Mavado," Koromanti Meikle said.

Regarding the potential turnout, she expressed confidence that "50,000 people is like a drop in the bucket for Plantation Cove".

"Suh, if 50,000 patrons come, we can handle it. We are an international venue, located in Jamaica, and we have been very particular about the events and artistes that we welcome at Plantation Cove. So for us, it's not about the quantity but the quality of events," she said.