Vybz Kartel And Mavado Set for Blockbuster Gaza vs. Gully Staging at The O2 Arena

Live Nation UK brings together two of dancehall's biggest icons as Vybz Kartel and Mavado headline the September 9 staging, following historic reunions at Reggae Sumfest in Jamaica and Freedom Street Malta, with another sell-out crowd expected at London's O2 Arena

Vybz Kartel & Mavado unite for historic O2 Arena staging

The defining Gaza vs. Gully staging is officially headed to London's The O2 Arena on September 9, with Live Nation UK announcing that dancehall heavyweights Vybz Kartel and Mavado will headline the highly anticipated event.

The show is widely projected to sell out, with tens of thousands of fans, many of whom grew up during the height of the Gaza vs. Gully era in the late 2000s, expected to pack the iconic venue for what promises to be one of the biggest dancehall events ever staged in the UK.

The event follows Kartel's record-breaking Worl' Boss Global Tour last year, which attracted more than 80,000 fans across the UK, including two historic sold-out nights at The O2 Arena, making him the first dancehall artiste to achieve that. Mavado also had a successful return to the UK last year, performing before more than 50,000 patrons at Reggae Land, while Kartel is set to headline this year's edition of the festival on August 1.

The event was first reported by Kaboom Magazine, whose sources close to the matter provided specific details ahead of the official announcement.

The UK staging comes after a blockbuster summer for the two dancehall icons. Kartel and Mavado are first scheduled to headline Taste of Reggae Sumfest 2026 on July 18 at Plantation Cove in St. Ann, before reuniting under Kartel's Freedom Street banner in Malta from September 11–13. The Malta event has already been announced as sold out, with a significant number of fans expected to travel from the UK.

Together, the Jamaica, UK and Malta stagings are expected to attract well over 60,000 fans, marking another historic chapter in one of dancehall's most defining rivalries and showcasing the enduring global appeal of the Gaza vs. Gully movement to a new generation of fans.