Trinidadian promoter Jacho Entertainment Limited has taken dancehall star Adidja “Vybz Kartel” Palmer to the High Court of Justice over the failed One Caribbean Music Festival, which was scheduled for May 2025. The lawsuit was filed on January 13, 2026, and alleges breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and defamation.
According to court documents, the promoter is seeking the recovery of US$1.1 million in advance payments, along with TT$7.3 million in damages. Jacho Entertainment claims Kartel cancelled his headline performance after receiving 81 percent of his agreed US$1.35 million fee.
The promoter states that the remaining US$250,000 was to be paid upon Kartel’s arrival in Trinidad. However, Kartel refused to board his flight, insisting that the full amount be paid before travel.
Vybz Kartel has maintained that the promoter failed to meet the financial terms of the agreement.
“My position is simple and unchanged: the performance agreement required payment of the full agreed fee in advance. That payment was not completed,” Kartel stated.
He added that since the matter is now “before the appropriate legal forum,” he would no longer comment publicly, noting, “I won’t engage with speculation or distractions.”
The legal filings also reveal attempts to salvage the event. As the final payment was delayed due to a public holiday, an investor reportedly offered Kartel four condominiums in Trinidad as collateral. Kartel allegedly rejected the offer, requesting a bank transfer instead.
Jacho Entertainment CEO Odane Anderson described the fallout as devastating.
“I get robbed too because right now my life is in danger because of borrowing investors’ money,” Anderson said. “My problem is not him cancelling, my problem is the time he do it. If he knew he was uncomfortable… days before he could have said it.”
The cancellation led other acts to withdraw and triggered an investigation by Trinidad’s Financial Investigations Branch into the source of the foreign currency used for the payments.
Ticketing agencies have since processed refunds, stating that the event presented to consumers was “significantly different” from what had been advertised.
The High Court is expected to set a date for Kartel’s formal defense, as the case continues to unfold with financial and reputational stakes for both parties.
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