At 7 p.m., music is blasting through the National Stadium, where African giant Burna Boy is expected to perform later tonight. Scores of patrons are still pouring into the event space in hopes of capturing the best seats.
According to Tamarsha Flemming, a supervisor with First In Line Entertainment Limited, the official event ticket company, patrons have been lined up since early afternoon to secure the best spots to see the stage.
"People started coming in at 2 p.m., but the gates officially opened at 4 p.m. At first, because of the crowd, it was rough, but now things are going smoothly. We have a supervisor at every entrance to ensure that there is no piling up," she told The Gleaner.
Burna Boy is set to perform in Jamaica for the first time alongside homegrown artistes Lila Iké and Popcaan.
The event is promoted by Duke Concept, Twisted Entertainment, Fete Kingdom, Sho Entertainment, and Solid Agency Company.
Flemming also advised that there would be no re-entry into the venue once patrons were already inside. No tickets are being sold at the gate, but they can be accessed at National Heroes Circle.
Rayon Burns from Kingston arrived at 6 p.m. with his VIP ticket. Though admitting he only knows three Burna Boy songs, he is excited to see what will happen.
"I really want to see Burna Boy perform, to be honest. He is a fresh new artiste, and I want to see what he brings," said Burns.
Following concerns about the venue's layout, he also shared he is happy with the new format.
"They did a good job because VIP is central where they wanted, but [the] general has all the seats, so they could have done better with that," he continued.
Shayanne Hylton, who is seated in general, is already having a great time.
"In the general section, the vibe is nice, and we can see. I mean, for the price of the ticket, you get the monies worth so far," she said.