2024 Reggae Music & Jerk Festival

About Friends of Reggae International

In the quest for friendship, peace and understanding, cultural exchange has a long history of success in bridging gaps and fostering unity among distant communities.

Friends of Reggae International, a locally based Missouri nonprofit organization, launched Kansas City’s first Reggae and Music Festival at Thies Mall (Volker Park) in the summer of 1989. The inaugural event featured world renowned superstars Lucky Dube of South Africa, Fela Kuti of Nigeria, Jimmy Cliff of Jamaica, and American folk/soul/R&B artist, Richie Havens. Many local and regional artists also participated in the out-door event.

A diverse and vibrant audience of more than 30,000 individuals attended the first year. The annual festival thrived nearly two decades. In that time, over 500,000 local, national and international music enthusiasts attended the event at various locations in the Kansas City area. The cultural and economic impact was significant. Former mayors Richard Berkley and Emmanuel Cleaver II each issued proclamations to honor and commemorate the festival events.

Friends of Reggae International was organized:

• To promote reggae music as a cultural art form
• To successfully produce Kansas City's Reggae Music & Jerk Food Festival
• To bring together regional and international reggae and music artists to entertain that festivals' audiences
• To continue to develop audiences for and to provide vehicles through which reggae music may be shared with various communities
• To facilitate, through reggae music, the unification of these diverse communities and cultures, enhancing the quality of life for all
• To create a festival environment conducive to tourism, a positive economic environment for merchants and to promote commerce in general.