Explosive finals set for Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall
The Melbourne Cricket Club on Courtney Walsh Drive (formerly Derrymore Road) in Half-Way Tree will be the venue for this year’s staging of the Magnum Kings and Queens of Dancehall grand finale.
According to Sanjay Ramanand, one of the show’s producers, there wasn’t necessarily a strategic decision behind the change of venue, as the show changes venues for the final night every year.
However, he explained that the Melbourne Cricket Club was chosen this year because of its location.
“I don’t think it’s been the same venue any two years in a row, but we really like this venue because it’s kind of central in Half-Way Tree, and it should be easy access that way. It’s right there on Courtney Walsh Drive, so hopefully, it’s not hard to miss, and we’re counting on people coming out,” he said.
EARLY START
The 11th season of the show is expected to close out with an explosive final show set for Saturday. The action is expected to get started from as early as 8 p.m. with pre-performances, while the live action on TVJ is slated to get under way at 9:30 p.m.
The night will follow true Magnum finale format by bringing back the top 10 contestants from this season to give special performances. There will also be performances from guest artistes such as Chi Ching Ching, Tommy Lee Sparta and Konshens.
The final night will see Hugupungeh face off against Bluugo for the male crown, while Safiyah will go up against Bad Gyal Jade for the female title.
At $500 per ticket, Ramanand is encouraging the public to attend the event, as he claims it has never disappointed in the past.
“I think we’ve been really lucky in the past few years. I can’t recall the last time we’ve had a season that hasn’t been packed with really good talent. We’ve been having strong seasons for a while now,” he said, while noting that there will be two surprise performances.
“We had some strong talent and some good songs this season. I mean, everyone will remember Hugupungeh’s laughing song and Jade’s Hide and Dweet, and there are quite a few others who made this year buzz-worthy and exciting.”