13/01/2026
Public Statement
We can confirm that the Reggae & Riddim Festival will be on hiatus in 2026.
This pause reflects a strategic decision to regroup with partners and focus on long-term sustainability, while we continue our wider cultural and community commitments. These include ongoing work in Jamaica and developing support for our international partners in Montego Bay following the recent hurricane.
Since its inception, Reggae & Riddim has been a celebration of culture, community, and creative expression rooted in Newport and deeply connected to the African and Jamaican diaspora. The festival has always been about more than a single event; it is part of a wider movement that values heritage, resilience, and the power of music and the arts to bring people together across borders.
This year, Urban Circle Newport marks 20 years of community arts leadership in the city. From March, we will launch a six-month anniversary season, taking place across Newport, Wales, including events and activities at CIRCLE and other partner venues. This programme will celebrate two decades of grassroots creativity, youth development, and cultural production, while creating space for reflection, reconnection, and laying the foundations for the future.
We remain committed to the return of Reggae & Riddim and are actively shaping opportunities for partners, supporters, and sponsors to be part of its next chapter, in ways that are sustainable, collaborative, and rooted in shared values.
We thank our community, artists, partners, and audiences for their continued support and look forward to celebrating this milestone year together.
Loren Henry
CEO, Urban Circle Newport
