Sublime, Wiz Khalifa set to perform at Virginia Beach reggae festival in June

Stacy Parker, The Virginian-Pilot
·3 min read
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VIRGINIA BEACH — Sublime, a 1990s-era band that gained worldwide fame for its blend of ska, reggae, surf rock and punk music, will headline the first day a new reggae festival at the Oceanfront. Chart-topping, reggae rockers Rebelution will headline the second day of shows.

Point Break, a two-day event, will be held June 1 and 2 and will feature performances by more than 20 bands on two beachfront stages including Wiz Khalifa, Stephen Marley and Steel Pulse. Presale tickets will be available at 10 a.m. Thursday at pointbreakfestival.com.

The two-day early bird general admission price will be $119.99 while supplies last. Early bird VIP will be $199.99. Travel packages starting at $749.50 per person will also be available.

Late last year, the City Council approved a $300,000 sponsorship for the inaugural festival in addition to as much as $450,000 based on the amount of taxes generated within the festival’s footprint. In-kind city services will also be provided.

But the idea of a reggae music fest has been long in the works, said Ken MacDonald, president of IMGoing, the Point Break festival promotor.

“We’ve been working on it for a long time, thinking about it for years and just waiting for the right time to do it,” MacDonald said. “COVID and some other things just kind changed the rhythm of business and when we could do this.”

MacDonald’s local music promotion roots run deep. In the 1990s, he worked for Cellar Door Productions and managed the storied Boathouse when Reggae Sunsplash was held outside at Bessie’s Place.

MacDonald, 60, has captained a slew of productions in the resort area. He was involved in the 1994 debut of Virginia Beach’s first large concert series in the sand — the American Music Festival. In the early 2000s, MacDonald started his own concert promotion business, Integrated Management Group, known as IMGoing. The company promotes concerts and artists across the region, operates Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion in Portsmouth and Virginia Beach’s seasonal entertainment program.

Through the years, MacDonald has watched the reggae genre grow and knows where it draws a crowd.

“Its strength is along the coast and where people seek out the beach and ocean,” he said. “It’s more about the feel, the vibe, the attitude of surfing, skateboarding and the beach. It’s a celebration of that sort of chill lifestyle.”

Point Break will include a mix of classic and modern reggae styles with performances by Pepper, Tribal Seeds, Fortunate Youth, Hirie, The Expendables, Bumpin Uglies, Denm, Tropidelic, Artikal Sound System, Ballyhoo, Passafire, REGLDGRN, Kash’d Out, Joe Samba, The Supervillians, Of Good Nature, Quasi Kings, Cultivated Minds and Ganja Cat. The festival will also feature local food and craft vendors.

The main stage will be set up near 3rd Street and a second smaller stage will be located between 4th and 5th streets. Doors will open at 12 p.m. each day with live performances starting at 1 p.m.

Sublime will perform with new lead singer Jakob Nowell, the son of the original lead singer Bradley Nowell, alongside founding members Bud Gaugh on drums and Eric Wilson on bass.

Like all beach festivals, Point Break will require some time for set up. Because the festival takes place the weekend after Memorial Day, MacDonald said he’s working with the city to minimize the impact on the Boardwalk and Rudee Loop, which will be used as the staging area. He expects the event to be a much smaller production than the Something in the Water festival.

The adventure sports festival Jackalope will be held at 31st Street on the same weekend as Point Break. Athlete registration and hotel packages for Jackalope will be available starting March 28.

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The City Council approved a three-year sponsorship contract for the reggae festival, and MacDonald’s hoping Point Break will become a longstanding tradition in Virginia Beach.

“It’s intended to run for many, many years to come” he said.

Stacy Parker, 757-222-5125, stacy.parker@pilotonline.com