Just one month after shutting down Brooklyn’s Barclays Center with two sold-out headlining shows — his first Stateside performances in 20 years — Vybz Kartel has announced an 11-date world tour alongside a new single titled “Pretty Girls.”
Kicking off May 17 at Miami’s Amerant Bank Arena, Kartel’s Freedom Street World Tour will visit Trinidad’s One Caribbean Music Festival, London’s Wireless Festival and Jamaica’s Reggae Sumfest — alongside arenas in Atlanta and Baltimore — before concluding with two shows in Malta on Sept. 11 and 12. The Freedom Street World Tour — which sources its name from the massive homecoming festival the King of Dancehall mounted on New Year’s Eve last year (Dec. 31, 2024) — serves as Kartel’s first trek in more than 20 years. Last summer, the dancehall legend walked out of prison a free man after serving 13 years of a now-overturned life sentence for the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams.
Kartel has been incredibly active since his visa was reinstated at the top of the year. In January, he made his Billboard cover debut and released a ten-year anniversary deluxe edition of his 2015 Viking (Vybz Is King) album, featuring seven new songs. The following month (Feb. 2), he attended the 67th Annual Grammys, where he enjoyed his first career nomination for best reggae album (2024’s Party With Me EP). Two weeks later (Feb. 18), he delivered a sizzling career-spanning medley and received the Impact Award at the 27th MOBO Awards in the U.K. The same month he shut down Brooklyn with a pair of star-studded concerts — featuring guest appearances from Spice, Shenseea, Moliy, Busta Rhymes and more — Kartel picked five nominations at the third annual Caribbean Music Awards, which will take place in Kings Theatre on Aug. 28.
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In addition to his splashy tour announcement, the King of Dancehall also shared a brand new single. “Pretty Girls,” a bright, Now or Never Miami-helmed dancehall track dedicated to his eternal music, marks Kartel’s first release in partnership with Steven “Steve-O” Carless’ Defiant Records.
“I have had so many blessings this year,” Kartel said in a press release. “The summer is ours, and we are ready to take the world by storm, more passport stamps, more ‘Pretty Girls’ and endless possibilities.”
Stream “Pretty Girls” and check out Vybz Kartel’s Freedom Street World Tour dates below:
May 17 – Miami, Fla. @ Amerant Bank Arena May 24 – Georgetown, Guyana @ Guyana National Stadium May 31 – Port of Spain, Trinidad @ One Caribbean Music Festival June 6 – Atlanta, Ga. @ State Farm Arena June 14 – Atlantic City, N.J. @ Boardwalk Hall June 27 – St. Kitts @ St. Kitts Music Festival July 5 – Cologne, Germany @ Summerjam Festival July 13 – London, U.K. @ Wireless Festival July 18 – Montego Bay, Jamaica @ Reggae Sumfest July 26 – Baltimore, Md. @ CFG Bank Arena Sept 11–12 – Malta @ Freedom Street Europe Festivals
