Reggae Rise Up returns to Vinoy Park Thursday-Sunday

The vibes will be good and tasty sweet in downtown St. Pete this weekend, as the sixth Reggae Rise Up Florida unfurls its multi-hued Jamaican flag over Vinoy Park.

If you’re counting, this is actually the 2020 reggae fest, as it was postponed last year and rescheduled for March, then postponed again.

It’s a four-day extravaganza, mon (Thursday through Sunday), which brings in an estimated 15,000 fans each day.

Let’s get this out of the way, OK? There are no mask or vaccination requirements, according to the official website: “That being said, we encourage everyone to keep their best practices in mind at all times and take the personal precautions they feel most comfortable with, such as wearing masks, getting tested, or getting vaccinated.”

And among the lengthy list of prohibited items, marijuana – medical or otherwise – is strictly a no-no, despite its almost spiritual association with reggae music (specifically, the list refers to “Illegal substances, drugs, or drug paraphernalia,” as it legally must). So there.

There is, of course, a lengthy series of allowed items, including blankets, chairs, backpacks, refillable water containers, cigarettes, e-cigs and “good vibes.”

View the whole “yes and no” thing here.

On to the music: This year’s headliners include Slightly Stoopid, Damian Marley, Stephen Marley, Matisyahu, Iration, Dirty Heads, Soja, Tribal Seeds and JB006. View the complete four-day schedule here.

Reggae Rise Up includes multiple stages, interactive activities and large-scale art installations, with more than 100 craft and food vendors.

Artists include Jujmo, Akat, Atomiko, Timmy Dub, James Oleson, Hoxxoh, Everyday Research, Squid Licker, Melanie Posner, Phybr and Sebastian Coolidge.

(St. Pete’s Melanie Posner, incidentally, is a cast member of the upcoming Amazon Prime series Tampa Baes.)

In addition to full festival passes, single-day tickets are available. Look here.