Five Reggae/Dancehall Tours You Need To Look Out For In 2023
It’s been three years since a global pandemic restricted movement worldwide, along with many of the “little” things we took for granted – like concerts. In 2022, many countries slowly resumed people-centric activities, such as travel, and entertainment events, without the precautionary measures that had become the new norm.
Last year, many Reggae and Dancehall entertainers delivered amazing performances across the globe, including new favorites Shenseea, Koffee, and Skillibeng. Now, one month into 2023, it’s even clearer that the global entertainment industry is back in full swing. International tours for Reggae and Dancehall musicians will, fortunately, continue and increase, with some tour dates as far ahead as October 2023 already scheduled.
Let’s gladly get into five Reggae and Dancehall Tours you need to look out for in 2023.
Stephen Marley Old Soul Unplugged Tour (USA) | February 17 – March 18
Stephen Marley will again tour the United States this February.
Stephen, the fourth eldest child and second eldest son of Reggae musicians Bob and Rita Marley, will tour 12 states in six weeks, starting in Monterey, California, on February 17 and ending in Atlanta, Georgia on March 18.
The Old Soul Unplugged tour will travel along the west, south and east coasts of the United States, stopping in the states of Oregon, Washington, Texas, Louisiana, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
The Old Soul Unplugged tour is one month ahead of Stephen’s next US performance in Colorado, where he and his brothers will host a two-day concert honoring their late father.
Read until the end for details on the Marley brothers’ desert concert in April 2023!
Get your tickets for Old Soul Unplugged
Kabaka Pyramid Europe Tour | March 2 – April 10
Grammy-award winner Kabaka Pyramid will tour Europe in March 2023. Less than a month after winning the 2023 Grammy for Best Reggae Album for The Kalling , Kabaka will tour 12 countries across the continent between March 2 and April 10.
The tour begins in France’s fourth largest city, Toulouse, on March 2 and then continues to Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Spain, Czech Republic and, finally, the United Kingdom.
Ahead of his tour, Kabaka Pyramid will join other renowned Dancehall and Reggae artists in California for the Cali Vibes concert on February 17.
Pyramid released The Kalling in 2022. The 15-track album, released under Jamaican record labels Bebble Rock Music and Ghetto Youths International, is his fourth studio album.
Get your tickets for Kabaka Pyramid’s Europe tour
Lila Iké Europe & Japan Tours | March & April 2023
Lila Iké is set to take 2023 by the reigns! As of February 2023, Lila has confirmed two tours, one in Japan and the other across Europe. The Manchester-born Reggae musician will start her travels late March in Ibaraki, Japan on March 17 and end on March 26 in Yokohama, Kanagawa. Lila will spend 10 days touring the eight prefectures of Ibaraki, Osaka, Hiroshima, Chiba, Saitama, Kumamoto and Kanagawa in Japan.
A week later, Lila heads to Berlin, Germany on April 5 to headline the five-day concert, Reggaeville Easter Special 2023, in Germany and the Netherlands. Her performances culminate with a performance in Belgium on April 11 and in Switzerland on April 12.
Get your tickets for Lila Iké’s Europe Tour
Sizzla Everlasting Tour | April 25 – May 7
Sizzla heads back to Japan! Thirteen years after his last tour, No Pain, in the country in 2010, Kalonji returns to give Reggae and Dancehall fans what they’ve been missing.
Japan, one of the epicenters of diehard Dancehall fans in the East, will enjoy the 13-show Everlasting tour across 13 prefectures, starting on April 25 in Ibaraki. Everlasting will make stops in popular cities like Osaka, Kyōto, Tōkyō, and the southern prefecture of Hiroshima, which is a national symbol for peace in Japan and the tour’s last stop on May 7.
The Everlasting tour should be an exciting event for many Jamaicans and Japanese alike. At any Dancehall or Reggae event in Japan, you’re most likely to hear a Sizzla dub from the Dancehall and Reggae DJs, who make the pilgrimage to Jamaica to request dubs from their favorite artists.
Protoje Europe Tour | October 21 – 26
You know it will be a great year when you’ve already got tours scheduled in the second half of the year! The head of the In.Digg.Nation Collective will embark on a four-country tour starting in Paris, France on October 21 and then head to Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands across six days.
Protoje will be joined by fellow Reggae musician and In.Digg.Nation family, Lila Iké, in Belgium on October25, and make his last stop in Amsterdam on October 26.
Protoje and the In.Digg.Nation Collective has enjoyed an incredibly successful two years since 2020, when the label and management company partnered with US-based RCA Records and Six Course Media Group to secure album deals for himself and his label mates Lila Iké, Sevana and Jaz Elise. Also, Third Time’s the Charm, Protoje’s sixth studio album released in 2022, was Grammy-nominated for Best Reggae Album in 2023.
Get your tickets for Protoje’s Europe tour
Special Mentions – Concerts
Shenseea for 2023 Coachella | April 15 & 22
Rapidly rising in the international music industry, Shenseea will make her debut appearance at Coachella this year. ShenYeng is the only Dancehall act in this year’s Coachella lineup, and will perform on April 15 and 22 – Weekend 2 of the wildly popular music and arts festival held in the Colorado Desert, California.
Coachella has scheduled three consecutive weekends to celebrate music and art from April 14 to April 23.
The Marley Brothers for The Marley Brothers Concert | April 19 & 20
Stephen, Damian ‘Jr. Gong’, Ziggy, Kymani and Julian will host a two-day concert on April 19 and 20 at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado.
The concert, intentionally held on 4/20, will honor their late father and Reggae icon, Bob Marley, as well as legendary Reggae musician Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry. The renowned Marley brothers will bring along Dancehall and Reggae greats Sean Paul, Steel Pulse, Protoje, and Mykal Rose for a real Reggae celebration in the desert.
Get your tickets for The Marley Brothers