The 37th edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta will take place from March 2-5 2017 and promises a “Legendary Night” to close off the final evening. The organizers are proud to announce the Universal chart topping band UB40 has been confirmed as the headline act for the evening of March 5th on Kim Sha Beach. UB40, featuring Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey Virtue will close out the St Maarten Heineken Regatta’s 4 days of professional sailing and 4 nights of amazing music festivities. Organizers expect a large turnout for this distinguished band, who will bring to the stage tunes that are sure to bring back memories.
UB40 was founded in 1979 and enjoyed an incredibly successful run of hits through 2008. Ali, Astro and Mickey were all founding members of the renowned band and after briefly going their separate ways they reunited in 2013 to bring back the authentic sounds of UB40 to their fans. The cover of Neil Diamond’s Red Red Wineand Elvis’(I can’t help) Falling in Love With You sent them to the top of the charts back in the 80’s and escalated them into household names across the globe.
UB40 brings to the stage decades of experience and music that spreads across generations. They performed at the Free Mandela Concert at Wembley stadium in 1988 and a decade later played for an estimated 1 million viewers during the Bollywood awards in India. Their passion and talent reach beyond borders and cultures and remain as favorites on global playlists. UB40 recently released their new album, Silhouette, featuring a mix of new songs and reggae-fied cover versions of legends like The Beatles and Bob Dylan.
John Leone of ILTT stated “We are extremely excited to bring UB40 to St. Maarten and the Caribbean. UB40 are legendary professionals who will help to create an amazing night for all concert goers including the regatta participants, the island residents and our visitors. This is the first time that UB40 will play on St. Maarten, and we are certain the show will be Legendary!”
Entrance to the performance on Sunday will be free of charge to regatta sailors and official active volunteers of the 2017 regatta. Performers for the remaining evenings will be announced in the coming weeks. The lineup promises to be an exciting mix of international and local bands. Thursday’s opening night will be held at the Princess Port de Plaisance Hotel & Casino and should draw a large sailing crowd as participants arrive on island earlier in the week. Friday will take the audience to Philipsburg for performances on the Boardwalk and the remainder of the weekend will see all performers taking the stage in Simpson Bay on Kim Sha Beach.
To keep up to date with the regatta news and for more information on the bands, make sure to like the regatta Facebook page and check the website regularly. There are less than 80 days to go until the first horn sounds so stay tuned for more great news in the coming weeks.
For VIP tickets, ticketing and information about the show please contact the Regatta Office at regatta@heinekenregatta.com.
