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International Reggae Day celebrates Jamaica’s iconic music by refocusing on activism and climate justice

‘Reggae music is a spirit’
Written byEmma Lewis
Read this post in українська
Posted 1 July 2025
Image of a microphone with music notes creating a heart around it, against the backdrop of a red, green and gold reggae flag. Image via Canva Pro.

Feature image via Canva Pro.

International Reggae Day (IRD) marks its 31st year with the theme “One Love, One Voice, One Day.” It calls for a “refocus” – and perhaps a revival – of reggae music as a vehicle for activism.

As part of the celebrations, the IRD team announced its second annual Winnie Mandela Humanitarian Award recipient, which went this year to Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, for her powerful advocacy on climate justice:

The award honours individuals whose life’s work reflects the values of love, justice and truth long championed by Reggae music.

Prime Minister Mottley’s bold leadership on climate justice has shifted global discourse and given voice to the world’s most vulnerable. Her tireless advocacy, particularly for Small Island Developing States, stands as a powerful call to action. Her message is clear. Her stance is unwavering. Her voice, global.

Last year’s 30th anniversary included drone shows and other events in Jamaica’s capital, which was designated as a UNESCO City of Music in 2015.

International Reggae Day has been recognised around the world, from the glitzy city of Las Vegas, where a new attraction, “Bob Marley Hope Road,” was officially opened:

… to Nairobi, Kenya:

Reggae music has also had a lasting impact on musicians in Malaysia:

The Public Library in Greensboro, North Carolina, also got in on the act:

Back home in Jamaica, local radio stations, in particular, the popular Ocho Rios-based music station Irie FM, which officially went on the air as a reggae station in 1990 and “continues to keep the genre front and centre,” were happy to focus on International Reggae Day. The station honoured the dub poet Mutabaruka, who hosts a show on the station, along with other reggae veterans, at a live event in uptown Kingston, one of several scheduled around the city on July 1.

Irie FM eloquently described reggae music as “a spirit…This isn't just sound, it's soul”:

The University of the West Indies Press, meanwhile, shared details of its many reggae titles:

IRD founder, Andrea Davis, was interviewed on morning television in Jamaica, while in some countries, human rights and civil society organisations focused on the power of reggae music to create positive change. This Polish entity tweeted:

With a focus on climate change and the environment this year – and inspired by Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai – International Reggae Day is also encouraging its followers to “plant a reggae tree” in support of the United Nation’s Trillion Tree Challenge.

Reggae music has always possessed global power, with messages that resonate internationally. It has, in the past, inspired activism, a fact that was highlighted during the 2024 celebration, including the role the music played in the fight against apartheid.

This year’s theme, emphasising the environment and activism, can be seen as an endorsement of the universal messages of love, unity, and peace that reggae music has always embodied. Perhaps the Jamaican music industry, in general, and current popular artists will take up the challenge to continue embracing this “spirit of reggae.”

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Written byEmma Lewis

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