Independence Day

National Holiday · August 6

Rating: 4.7 / 5

Jamaica marks Independence Day on 6 August each year, celebrating the country's 1962 independence from the United Kingdom. Official events include the Grand Gala at the National Stadium in Kingston, the Independence Day parade, firework displays and a busy calendar of parties across the island. Combined with Emancipation Day on 1 August, the week becomes one of the busiest of the Jamaican calendar for domestic tourism; hotels in Kingston and Negril commonly sell out well in advance.