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Trinidad’s One Music Festival blows the lid off Vybz Kartel’s staggering possible EC$4 million booking fee—now booked for St. Kitts Music Festival, organizers will need to sell over 23,000 tickets in one night just to break even.
As St.Kitts and Nevis Faces a Harsh Economy, the PM Drew administration and Organizers of the SK Music Festival are being Slammed for what some are terming Reckless Spending on One Artiste
Basseterre, St. Kitts — In a move that’s now raising eyebrows and sounding alarm bells across the Federation, it has been revealed that Dancehall superstar Vybz Kartel was booked for the upcoming St. Kitts Music Festival at a likely and very possible whopping EC$4MILLION PLus — and though the local appearance fee hasn’t been publicly disclosed, the recent One Caribbean Music Festival fiasco in Trinidad has spilled the tea on just how much the “Worl’ Boss” commands.
According to the promoters of the Trinidad show, Kartel’s booking fee is a jaw-dropping US $1.5 million — equivalent to more than EC $4 million. That’s the price tag to bring one man — yes, just one — to the stage.
Do the Math: St.Kitts Music Festival Must Sell 23,000+ Tickets to Break Even
Based on current St. Kitts Music Festival ticket prices of $175 per night, organizers would need to sell at least 23,142 tickets in one night just to cover Kartel’s booking fee alone — not including production costs, logistics, artist hospitality, security, insurance, promotions, and the rest of the star-studded lineup.
The harsh reality? Even in its record-breaking year with Buju Banton, the Music Festival moved just over a record 27,000 tickets across all three nights — and Buju’s fee was one-third of Kartel’s, at US $500,000.
Economic Madness in a Crisis
The announcement comes at a time when St. Kitts and Nevis is officially grappling with the slowest, most fragile economic recovery in the Eastern Caribbean, as confirmed by the IMF. Small businesses are shutting down, families are tightening their belts, and the cost of living is soaring.
And yet — a possible speculated amount of EC$4 million-plus is being shelled out for a single performer?
Critics are calling this “a festival of fiscal irresponsibility.”
“This is tone-deaf. While people are asking how they’ll pay rent or afford groceries, the government and festival board are out here throwing millions at one artiste for one night,” said one cultural economist.
No Transparency, No Justification
Despite growing public outrage, organizers have refused to disclose Kartel’s actual fee — but the Trinidad disaster has effectively blown the lid off the mystery. In that case, $950,000 was already paid, with another $150,000 disbursed to legal teams, and the rest reportedly withheld due to local financial laws.
“If Trinidad was paying US$1.5 million — rest assured St. Kitts didn’t get him for half price,” one industry insider said bluntly.
Is the Festival Becoming a Money Pit?
Supporters of the festival argue that big-name acts draw tourists and global attention. But opponents insist that there must be balance — and fiscal sanity.
“We’re not against entertainment. We’re against economic recklessness masked as culture,” said a local artist who was denied funding for a school outreach project earlier this year.
With the government still silent on the specifics, the pressure is mounting for transparency and accountability. How much is being spent? Where is the money coming from? And what happens if ticket sales flop?
The People Deserve to Know
As the hype around the Music Festival builds, so does the backlash. In a small nation facing massive financial strain, every dollar counts — and $4 million for one act may be a price too high to justify.
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Stay tuned to Times Caribbean and St. Kitts-Nevis Times for full coverage, ticket sales analysis, and continuing updates on the unfolding St. Kitts Music Festival spending saga.
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