“The Frye Festival Trinidad edition,” “I want my money back,” and “this is a scam” are just some of the heated reactions flooding social media after Vybz Kartel, Sizzla, and Moliy abruptly pulled out of the One Caribbean Music Festival, citing contractual obligations.
According to festival promoters, Vybz Kartel was paid $950,000 USD out of a $1.35 million USD contract, with $150,000 allocated to his legal representative. They claim the final payment was blocked by Trinidad and Tobago’s financial regulations, and insist they only found out about Kartel’s cancellation at the same time the public did—on social media.
Kartel, the first to announce his withdrawal, addressed the matter in a video posted to Instagram. In the clip, the Dancehall star apologized to the people of Trinidad and called out the promoter over a string of unresolved issues.
Shortly after Kartel’s announcement, Moliy, the Ghanaian-American singer known for Shake It To The Max, released a statement declaring her withdrawal. Despite being in Trinidad and ready to perform, she said she had not received any communication from the organizers since her arrival, along with unmet contractual obligations.
Sizzla later followed suit, also pulling out of the event. According to a press release from his team, the reggae icon, who had arrived with his full band, made the difficult decision to withdraw due to “pending financial issues with the promoter.”
Despite the high-profile withdrawals, One Caribbean Music Festival went on as planned on Sunday, with Chronic Law among the artists who took the stage.
Still, many patrons—especially those who bought tickets to see Vybz Kartel—are demanding refunds. However, due to a non-refundable clause in the promoter’s policy, they may be out of luck. The fine print, which ticket holders agreed to upon purchase, states that tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled by the organizer, Jacho Entertainment Limited.
