Bankie Banx’s 36th Moonsplash Returns to Anguilla, Beachside Reggae Celebration

Bankie Banx returned to the sand and stars at The Dune Preserve on Rendezvous Bay as Moonsplash staged its 36th edition, a multi-night festival held March 5–8, 2026. Founded and hosted by Bankie Banx, the longstanding independent Caribbean festival filled the legendary beachfront venue with showcases, nightly sets, and the kind of close-up performances that have defined Moonsplash for decades.

This year’s program carried an extra weight: the festival honored reggae ambassador Stephen “Cat” Core, identified in festival materials as co-founder of Third World. Bankie Banx said, “Moonsplash has always been about positive vibrations, unity, and celebrating Caribbean culture in its purest form, This year is especially meaningful as we honor Reggae Ambassador StephenCat Core, whose spirit, creativity, and energy continue to inspire artists and audiences throughout the region. Moonsplash is more than a festival, it’s a gathering of hearts, music, and community.”

The Dune Preserve’s layout split the weekend between a small, intimate beachside stage and a larger main Moonsplash stage on the non-beach side. The site description noted, “Bankie's stage on the beach side is small and close, so you feel at home and the music feels personal.” Organizers and volunteers transformed what serves as a parking lot the rest of the year into a full festival arena: “The non-beach side of The Dune comes to life with the sound of sawing and hammers. Painters then show up. Volunteers and friends come to help get the main stage area for Moonsplash ready.”

Performances and onstage collaborations provided much of the weekend’s color. The crowd gathered for Duane Stephenson, and Bankie was on hand to sing with Gramps Morgan of Morgan Heritage, continuing a tradition of close collaborative sets. Site copy reflected the festival founder’s long track record: “Bankie is an Anguillian who carved out a musical career that stems back over 30 years now,” and noted his songwriting, “He has produced albums over the years that are filled with original Billy Joel-type lyrics in that, they tell a story, written and sung by Bankie himself.” Observers added that “Bankie Banx can be theatrical” in performance, a trait visible in his hosting and guest spots.

Organizers pitched Moonsplash as an immersive cultural escape that blends music, local cuisine, and island life; promotional language called it the Caribbean’s most iconic independent music festival, promising an intimate beachfront atmosphere, rich artistic heritage, and unmatched island energy. Attendees described the draw plainly: “who doesn't love to hang out under the stars, in a sea breeze, surrounded by cool, relaxed people from everywhere who are there for one thing that weekend - the music in that unmatched atmosphere.”

Festival media and onsite coverage included program pages and video material for attendees and remote fans; one promotional line preserved in copy reads, "Festival materials, program pages and festival video clips published during" which appears as an incomplete fragment in the published materials. Moonsplash 36 closed after four nights of sets and tributes, maintaining the event’s reputation as a hands-on, community-built celebration of Caribbean reggae and island culture.