‘ONE LOVE’ reggae musical festival in March 2026 to reinvigorate roots in Sri Lanka

• South Asia’s first of its kind 3-day festival as tribute to legendary Bob Marley to feature six global iconic reggae artists

By Charumini de Silva

Sri Lanka is set to mark a major cultural milestone in March 2026 as it hosts South Asia’s first-ever reggae music festival, ONE LOVE 2026 – A Tribute to Bob Marley, bringing global reggae legends to the country’s southern coast for a three-day celebration of music, culture and unity.

Scheduled to take place from 27 to 29 March 2026 on the golden shores of Bentota, the festival will run each evening from 6 p.m. and is expected to draw thousands of music lovers from across Sri Lanka and the wider region.

Organisers said the event will be the largest gathering of international reggae artists ever staged in Asia and the Pacific, positioning Sri Lanka as a new hub for global music tourism.

The landmark festival was officially announced at a press conference on Tuesday held at NUWA Sri Lanka, Colombo’s newest ultra-luxury lifestyle destination.

The event will feature six internationally acclaimed reggae icons, led by Maxi Priest, often referred to as the “Prince of Reggae,” alongside The Wailers, the legendary band closely associated with Bob Marley. Also headlining are Marley’s sons, Julian Marley and Ky-Mani Marley, as well as iconic reggae acts Inner Circle and Big Mountain.

Two major international acts will take the stage each night, with The Wailers and Maxi Priest performing on 27 March, Inner Circle and Big Mountain on 28 March, and Julian Marley and Ky-Mani Marley closing the festival on 29 March. Four international DJs will perform across the three days, adding to the festival atmosphere and ensuring a continuous celebration of reggae music.

Organisers expect strong international interest, particularly from India, the Maldives and Bangladesh, as well as Western travellers seeking a winter escape combined with a unique cultural experience. Reggae has long enjoyed a dedicated following in Sri Lanka, and the festival is seen as a natural extension of that cultural connection.

The event is organised by One In A Million Entertainment Ltd., a Sri Lankan-owned company headquartered in Europe and Colombo, in collaboration with Caribbean Entertainment. The organisers bring with them a track record of hosting major international artists in Sri Lanka, including Shaggy, Diana King, Maxi Priest and Big Mountain.

Adding further prestige to the event, actor Kingsley Ben-Adir, who portrayed Bob Marley in the 2024 biographical musical film One Love, and the film’s director Reinaldo Marcus Green are also expected to attend. The festival coincides with celebrations marking what would have been Bob Marley’s 81st birthday on 6 February, lending additional cultural and emotional significance to the occasion.

Ticket prices have been set at Rs. 10,000 per day for general admission and Rs. 50,000 per day for VIP access, with early bird festival passes available for Rs. 25,000 for all three days and Rs. 125,000 for VIP passes. Tickets will be sold through the PickMe Events platform.

Beyond music and entertainment, the festival also carries a strong charitable component. Part of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to a children’s orphanage water purification project carried out by the Indian Cultural Association in Sri Lanka, while the festival is also working with the Bob and Rita Marley Foundation to support its charitable initiatives in Jamaica.

The international artist delegation, estimated at around 70 members, will be hosted at NUWA Sri Lanka, which forms part of the wider City of Dreams Sri Lanka development owned by Melco Resorts & Entertainment.

Commenting on the partnership, City of Dreams Sri Lanka Vice President and Property General Manager Michael Habashi said the resort was proud to serve as the hospitality partner for South Asia’s first reggae festival. He noted that welcoming world-renowned reggae legends reflected Colombo’s emergence as a regional entertainment hub and underscored Sri Lanka’s ambition to host globally iconic cultural experiences.

The event also featured a panel discussion which comprised Nuwa Hotel at City of Dreams Sri Lanka Hotel Manager/Executive Assistant Manager Thakshila Galappaththy, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Chief Operating Officer and tourism industry leader Kamal Munasinghe, City of Dreams Head of Marketing and Branding Chamika Karunaratne, Festival organiser One In A Million Chairman Prasantha Hewawasam, and singer and Sri Lanka’s iconic Bob Marley fan Rohantha Dissanayake. It was moderated by Daily FT Editor/CEO Nisthar Cassim.

 Kamal Munasinghe said Sri Lanka has become a much easier and more attractive proposition, particularly when it comes to tourism. Over the last year, the country has planned well and delivered strong results. The numbers have been fantastic, and even compared to regional competitors, Sri Lanka was performing exceptionally well until very recently. What is encouraging now is that we are clearly seeing momentum return, which is a positive sign.

 “There is so much that Sri Lanka offers as a destination. Visitors can experience a wide variety of attractions within a relatively short distance and at a very reasonable cost. We genuinely have a strong tourism product, but historically we have not always marketed it as effectively as we could have. That is beginning to change,” he said.

Referring to City of Dream, Kamal said: “We launched just over a year ago, and from the beginning there was strong interest from clients and investors. This reflects not only confidence in individual projects but also confidence in Sri Lanka as an investment destination. Despite the regulatory complexities of the industry, more and more investors are coming in, which clearly shows the country’s potential. Sri Lanka continues to be a very compelling opportunity, particularly for long-term investors.

On the impact of the recent cyclone, there was a short-term setback, but bookings have already begun to recover. This is the nature of tourism—such events cause temporary disruptions, but what matters is how quickly normalisation happens. The response was very strong. Within about two weeks, operations returned to normal, and the world could see that Sri Lanka was resilient and capable of managing crises effectively. Importantly, there was no loss of life, and the country recovered swiftly.

Nuwa’s Thakshila Galappaththi said when it comes to City of Dreams as a proposition for Colombo and for Sri Lanka, I would say this: a few years ago, there was a view expressed in a public forum that Sri Lanka was not ready for a development of this scale or positioning. Today, I am proud to say that we are ready, and City of Dreams is proof of that.

City of Dreams itself features over 40 dining outlets and banquet spaces. The scale is unprecedented. The development represents an investment of approximately $ 1.3 billion, making it the largest hotel development ever undertaken in Sri Lanka. We are working with Melco, who manage the casino and the integrated resort operations, and the hotel is positioned as an ultra-luxury offering.

The property includes 113 ultra-luxury rooms across multiple floors, along with some of the finest suites available in the country. It also introduces experiences that Sri Lanka has never had before, including the country’s first cigar and whisky bar, a rooftop bar, premium nightlife venues and entertainment spaces. This is a completely new dimension for the local hospitality sector.

In terms of economic impact, developments of this nature change the scale of tourism. We are no longer talking about $ 50 or $ 100 spent. We are now attracting visitors who are comfortable spending hundreds of millions collectively across accommodation, entertainment, gaming, dining and retail. This reflects where Sri Lankan tourism is heading.

Melco alone employs over 1,500 staff members, which demonstrates the employment impact of such investments. Since opening, demand has been very encouraging. We are seeing strong interest not only from local guests but also from Indian, Chinese and other international markets. The appeal is broad-based because we are not dependent on a single nationality or segment.

What we offer is a complete integrated experience—dining, nightlife, entertainment, gaming and leisure all in one destination. People are clearly looking for new experiences, and leisure tourism is evolving rapidly. City of Dreams is responding directly to what modern travellers are asking for.

Hosting this event is also significant for us because City of Dreams has naturally become an anchor for hospitality in Colombo. Since launch, we have hosted major celebrities and public figures, including international film stars, cricketers and artists. In just a few months, the property has already made a meaningful mark on the industry.

 City of Dreams Head of Marketing and Branding Chamika Karunaratne said: Overall, the response has been extremely encouraging. Demand continues to grow, the mix of visitors is diverse, and the interest in what we offer is strong. This reinforces our belief that Sri Lanka is ready for world-class, large-scale tourism investments and that the country’s hospitality sector is entering a new phase of maturity and confidence. With its blend of music, philanthropy and tourism, ONE LOVE 2026 is expected to not only celebrate the legacy of reggae and Bob Marley, but also reinforce Sri Lanka’s growing appeal as a destination for world-class international events.”

Singer and Sri Lanka’s iconic Bob Marley fan Rohantha Dissanayake said the “One Love” concert featuring six reggae artists was a long awaited dream and it was an ideal event for all who love reggae music in Sri Lanka and South Asia.

Festival organiser One In A Million Chairman Prasantha Hewawasam said Reggae is about roots and it has the right vibrations in Sri Lanka and the region, hence expressed confidence that the festival in March will be a great success apart from it being historic.

 Pix by Daminda Harsha Perera and Sameera Wijesinghe