The Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, through the Jamaica Day Planning Committee, has announced that Jamaica Day 2026 will be celebrated on Friday, February 27, under the theme ‘Celebrating Jamaica, Championing Kindness, Courage and Community’.
This year’s featured institution will be Manchester High School in Mandeville, located in the Ministry’s Region Five, which encompasses the parishes of Manchester and St. Elizabeth.
The day’s activities will commence with a civic ceremony at 8:30 a.m., featuring a flag raising, the reading of the Jamaica Day Proclamation, and devotion. The ceremony will be preceded by a marching band comprising the school’s uniformed groups.
Several dignitaries are expected to attend. These include the Custos Rotulorum for Manchester, Lieutenant Colonel, the Hon. Garfield Green, who will read the Proclamation; Minister of Education, Skills, Youth and Information, Senator Dr. the Hon. Dana Morris Dixon; State Minister, Hon. Rhoda Moy Crawford; Executive Director of the Tourism Product Development Company (TPDCo), Wade Mars; and Jamaica Teachers’ Association (JTA) President, Mark Malabver.
Following the tour of displays from various entities, the day’s activities will conclude with a grand afternoon concert.
While the national celebration will be staged at Manchester High, schools across the island are encouraged to host their own activities in keeping with the theme, showcasing Jamaica’s heritage and the values of kindness, courage, and community.
Chairman of the Jamaica Day Planning Committee, Senior Education Officer, Marlon Williams, told JIS News that this year’s theme underscores the spirit of resilience and care shown by Jamaicans in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa.
“This year, we want schools and communities to not only showcase cultural expressions but also display acts of kindness, courage, and recognise individuals who have made meaningful contributions to their communities,” he said.
The celebration will also honour cultural icons who have made significant contributions to Jamaica’s development. Those to be recognised include former performing arts teacher at Manchester High and external examiner in drama, Juliet Colie; and the Henzell family of St. Elizabeth, whose late patriarch, Perry Henzell, directed the iconic 1972 film, ‘The Harder They Come’, starring James “Jimmy Cliff” Chambers.
In addition to cultural presentations, booths will be mounted by organisations such as the Jamaica Archives and Registry Department, Jamaica National Heritage Trust, Integrity Commission, Jamaica Library Service, TPDCo, Jamaica Information Service (JIS), and the Public Broadcasting Corporation of Jamaica (PBCJ). A farmer’s market will also be featured, offering competitively priced produce for sale.
Mr. Williams is encouraging Jamaicans at home and abroad to join the celebration by wearing the national colours – black, green, gold, or bandana – and, more importantly, by demonstrating acts of kindness and service.
“Wearing the colours is an outward symbol but Jamaica Day is about living the pledge, serving our fellow citizens, and showing care, resilience and respect for our country,” he said.
Students from schools that continue to face infrastructural challenges as a result of Hurricane Melissa will be transported to Manchester High to ensure their participation in the festivities.
Jamaica Day 2026 promises to be a vibrant celebration of culture, resilience, and national pride, bringing Jamaicans together to honor the spirit of kindness, courage, and community.
