Plans Being made for Sting 2020

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Isiah Laing remembered being a young police officer and what caused him to start putting on Sting. “We were on patrol and we saw Michael Palmer, who had the hit song,”Dem a Lick Shot”. “Suh him come and seh ‘Boss, a we a sting and a we a shock, suh a we fi a do di show dem fi yuh’,” Laing told the Jamaica Star.

Laing said that after he returned to the station, he thought about it and after he toyed with the name ‘Shock’, he decided his next show should be called Sting instead.

The first event was held at Cinema 2 in 1984, Laing recalls. “The very first year, we made profit. We had 4,000 paid patrons and the entry fee was $20. The second year, it jumped from 4,000 paying patrons to 13,000, because that year we had a clash between Papa San and Tanto Irie. So, after that, clash became a staple on Sting.”

Sting did so well and outgrew its original venue, it was moved to the National Stadium in 1988, before it was taken to JamWorld in 1993.

Laing says: “It did ram and liquor sell-off early. Dem time dey mi a did young police.”

More about the Plans

Now, in 2020 after a four-year holiday, Laing is ready to revive the show, which has showcased the talents in Dancehall for 30 years, he is feeling sure that it will return this year.

“Sting is back for 2020!” Laing is saying. “For the last four years, every year I’ve been bombarded with people asking, ‘is the show coming this year, boss? Sting is the backbone showcase for the people of the world. People have been out there talking, but now you’re hearing it from me. It will be held on December 26.” Laing said to the Star.

Laing plans to return Sting to JamWorld, its home since 1993, even though there was a return to the National Stadium in 1997 for one time.

He says he will be stepping back and giving young people a chance to handle the hard work and organization this time around. JamWorld is now in a bad condition and he believes he will need assistance to get it ready for the event. He still believes Sting will need sponsors even though a new investor is on board.

He admitted that he tried to leave out clashing at Sting, “because a lot of people are saying it causes violence”. “But if the artistes are mature enough to handle it, we can have a little one clash in the thing that spike up the thing” he revealed. 

For Sting 2020, there will be strict guidelines for the artistes to follow and production changes.

Plans are in the early stages, Laing said that the new investor is, TP Data. There will be more news about Sting as time goes by.




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