Close your eyes for a moment and imagine yourself being transported into the heart of a tropical beachfront oasis in paradise. As you sink your toes into the hot sand and feel the golden sun shining down on your face, you can’t help but shed a layer and begin to soften into the palpable, hypnotizing, irie vibe that’s in the air. As your breath slows down and you breathe in a little more deeply, you catch a delicious blend of passing scents, from exotic fruits and mouth-watering, jerk-spiced island treats, to a sweet, herb-tinged breeze that drops you further into the bliss of the moment. As your senses heighten and you become more present in your body, the nostalgic sounds of Bob Marley’s legendary “One Love” anthem hovers and makes its way to your ears from some speakers in the distance. Meanwhile, the energetic flow of the usual, local hustle and bustle, combined with an influx of people from all walks of life converge with seeming purpose and intention. The buzzing energy of a conscious happening and all the signs of a high vibe gathering are undeniable. Something magical is about to happen…
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This is a tiny glimpse of a now annually occurring scene at the famed 7-mile Beach in Negril, Jamaica for the Tmrw Tday Culture Fest, which will be entering its fourth season this spring. With a resounding call of “Soul Rebels Unite” to a worldwide tribe, and with strong roots in Jamaica and Toronto, home to the festival’s core founders and producers, Tmrw Tday continues to grow organically from the first seeds of a big vision into a fully blooming festival experience like no other and a movement that is making ripples globally.
Boasting a rich and diverse program that is part wellness retreat, part music festival, Tmrw Tday offers its tribe a wide range of mindfully curated offerings to immerse into for 6 days and 6 nights. Bringing together a world class line-up of facilitators, instructors, and speakers, the festival has included contributions from well-established mainstays of the conscious movement such as health and wellness expert, David Wolfe, former talk show host and cannabis activist, Montel Williams, and the legendary Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records.
On the wellness side, there are daily yoga classes and meditations, plant medicine experiences and on-site natural healing practitioners, as well as transformational workshops and inspirational talks to choose from. Co-founder and wellness program curator, Stacy Irie Soul, describes the retreat component as “the beating heart of the festival that is powerful, transformative and inclusive beyond the usual retreat experience”.
On the music side, there are sound healing offerings and ecstatic dance journeys, as well as spiritual house and conscious beats being woven throughout the beachfront sessions and nightly jams. And last but not least, the festival opens its doors to the local community for one big reggae concert on the main stage that features some of the cream of Jamaica’s homegrown and internationally known talent, from Beanie Man to Lee Scratch Perry to Grammy-award winner and festival favourite, Protoje.
Irie Soul Retreat is the beating heart of our festival that is beyond the usual retreat experience. A powerful, transformative and inclusive program that will strip away all blockages and fears holding you back from experiencing true happiness in life. For beginners and all the way up, our powerful group of Yogis, healers and conscious leaders are here to serve you for a better Tmrw.Tday.” -Stacy Irie Soul (Co- Founder)
Set against the beautiful backdrop of Jamaica’s lush scenery and nestled within its infectious, laid-back and soulful way of life, Tmrw Tday founders have sought to give back to the local community. One such initiative is the Konscious Kids program, offered in partnership with local organizations to deliver motivational talks, mindfulness tips, yoga, meditation and sound healing to local youth and parents, supporting their success at school and encouraging stronger family bonds. Tmrw Tday also co-founded the Freedom Park, Jamaica’s first skatepark & youth center designed to support skateboarders as well as at-risk youth in the area by providing complementary skateboards and safety equipment to the community, as well as an educational program. The project, which breaks ground in February and is scheduled to open in early April, was led by Tmrw.Tday co-founder Kevin Bourke, who brought together a great group of organizations to fund and build the park.
From the outset, the festival has prided itself on being a bridge, an ally and an ambassador to its Jamaican host community and to the true roots and essence of the indigenous Rastafarian culture. Asked about the festival’s evident commitment to serving and working with the local community, co-founder Andrew Christoforou passionately shared:
Culture is in our festival name and we seek to embody and immerse the vibrant Jamaican culture into the program more and more every year.
This year it was important to increase the amount of local musicians, wellness facilitators and healers into the lineup. The island has a small but powerful wellness community and tapping into it is essential to our movement to create further change on the island.
Our local initiatives have seen some major success and we strive to build on what we started. Our Konscious Kids program is leading the effort to install mindfulness into the school curriculum.
We are also making strides in support of Rastafari’s sacramental rights to cannabis who have currently been shut out of Jamaica’s legalization of the plant on the island.Tmrw.Tday is much more than a festival. It is a catalyst for change and anyone inspired to make a difference in the world is welcome to join us.”
Tmrw Tday is a shining example and trend leader in the conscious festival space, with a clear commitment to sustainable, people-centered growth, and its core mission of amplifying and spreading the one love vibration with the help of its deepening global tribe. Whether you are seeking an expansive inward journey or craving connection and wanting to revel in the celebratory and playful with an incredible conscious community, Tmrw Tday has managed to cook up the perfect blend of purpose and party.