Mas Camp, the home of some of Kingston’s biggest parties and entertainment events, is set to close after the 2027 Carnival season as the National Stadium complex undergoes a major redevelopment and expansion project.
According to Major Desmon Brown, general manager of Independence Park Limited (IPL), event promoters who rely on the venue will have to find alternative locations once Carnival 2027 concludes.
“After carnival, the venue will no longer be available so they will have to look for some place else,” Brown said.
The displacement will not only affect Mas Camp but also the wider Stadium Car Park venue, which has increasingly been used to host major events. As a result, promoters who have staged events at either Mas Camp or within the broader car-park space will be forced to seek new homes once redevelopment activities begin.
The area has hosted a long list of marquee events over the years, among them being Bacchanal Jamaica, Footloose, Strictly 2K and Mello Vibes.
For many promoters, the venue has been among the few large-scale event spaces remaining in the Corporate Area, making its closure a significant development for Kingston’s nightlife and entertainment industry.
For many in the entertainment industry, Mas Camp’s biggest attraction was convenience. The centrally located venue offered fencing, bathroom facilities, security infrastructure and ample space, making it one of the few remaining turnkey event locations in the city.
“It’s going to have a huge impact on entertainment in Kingston,” said Ibrahim Konteh, co-director of Strictly 2K.
Konteh argued that replacing Mas Camp will not be easy.
“It got the lion’s share of the events in Kingston because it was practically a turnkey venue. The fact that they have bathroom facilities and fencing was a huge advantage.”
The challenge has become even more pressing as several traditional entertainment spaces have become unavailable. Some promoters point to locations such as Hope Gardens, where restrictions and community concerns have significantly limited the staging of nighttime events. As a result, some organisers may eventually be forced to look beyond the Kingston Metropolitan Area.
Others, however, say they are prepared. Tyrone Dixon, promoter of the long-running Footloose party series, said alternative options already exist.
“Footloose has been held at Sabina Park a couple of times and it was very successful, so we have no issues doing so again,” he said.
Meanwhile, Michael Ammar Jr, co-director of Bacchanal Jamaica, believes Carnival will survive the transition. He stressed that the redevelopment will not affect the 2027 Carnival season and argued that Carnival has evolved beyond a single venue.
“The way Carnival has developed over the last five years, it’s not tied to one location anymore. When it was us alone, we had all our events there, but now that it’s aligned with Exodus, etc., the events are spread out all over the island and especially all over the city of Kingston. So, it won’t affect Carnival”, he said,” Ammar said.
Still, he acknowledged that promoters of monthly and quarterly events will need to find new homes once the stadium carpark closes.
“I know that discussions are under way to try and find another location to be able to stage those events going forward. Right now, we are actually planning the last four great months of Mas Camp, from December to Carnival 2027, which is early April, where all the best of the Mas Camp events are going to be taking place in a dressed-up way. All the favourites like Yesteryear, Footloose, Mello Vibes, Big Tune, and, of course, Bacchanal Jouvert would be the crowning jewel in that series of goodbye events. So, that’s what’s going to be happening.”
