Festival Description

Join us for the 44th Annual Tribute to the Reggae Legends in San Diego, CA. The 2025 event will span two days. Friday will feature a sound system night where “Virgin Islands Meets Jamaica,” and Saturday will be a full day celebrating Roots Reggae Legends.

Tribute to the Reggae Legends, also known as Bob Marley Day honors the rich legacy of reggae music. Founded by Prophet World Beat Productions in honor of Bob Marley’s legacy, the event began as a small gathering and eventually grew to fill the San Diego Sports Arena, thanks to a partnership with Moss Jacobs.

Reggae has always held a special place at the WorldBeat Center. Its director, Makeda Dread Cheatom, hosted Reggae Makossa on 91X FM for 25 years alongside her partner Damaja Le. Together, they organized many club nights, boat cruises, and the annual Bob Marley Day festival in San Diego. As reggae legends began to pass on, the event was renamed Tribute to the Reggae Legends.

After 25 years at the San Diego Sports Arena, the festival moved to the Broadway Pier in downtown San Diego. Later, it returned to its roots at the WorldBeat Cultural Center with the Exodus festival.

Reggae music carries a powerful message of unity, peace, and awareness of social inequities. The WorldBeat Center remains dedicated to preserving the legacy and message of reggae legends like Bob Marley and Peter Tosh.

2025 LINEUP

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21
VIRGIN ISLANDS MEETS JAMAICA SOUNDSYSTEM

Virgin Islands
DEZARIE
NINJAH P

Jamaica
MICHAEL PALMER
RANKING JOE*

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22
ROOTS LEGENDS

SISTER NANCY
JOHNNY OSBOURNE
WARRIOR KING
JUNIOR TOOTS - Tribute to Toots
TRISTON PALMER
LITTLE JOHN
AND MORE*

*line up subject to change