Protoje’s Lost in Time Festival: Chronixx Returns, Smoking Debate Erupts

A hurricane of emotion surged through Hope Gardens as Chronixx took the stage to close night two of the highly anticipated Lost In Time music festival held in Jamaica on February 28 and March 1, 2026, WIC News reported, marking the artist's homecoming after being away from the stage for almost five years. Chronixx's roots-reggae closing set drew praise and tears of joy from fans even as a technical sound interruption forced a pause in the live mix.

Wicnews and WIC News both report technicians worked for around 20 minutes to resolve the sound issue; throughout that time patrons kept the energy alive until the music resumed. An Instagram caption captured the moment, writing, "During a minor technical glitch the crowd takes over during Chronixx set. ... Lost in Time Festival this weekend with Protoje, Chronixx, Lila Iké," underscoring how thousands at Hope Gardens carried the show with their voices while crews worked onstage.

WIC News detailed Chronixx’s set list and messaging: he opened with "Eternal Fire," moved into "Here Comes Trouble" as crowd momentum grew around the song's lyrics, and dedicated a line from his 2025 album Exile to Jamaica. WIC News also noted that Exile was "his first major release in more than eight years," framing the set as both a musical and emotional milestone for the singer.

The two-day festival was curated by Protoje as a showcase for the 'Reggae Revival' movement, with Protoje headlining Day 1 on February 28 and surprise guest Koffee joining him for "Switch It Up," Wicnews reported. Day 1 also featured performances by Lila Iké and Tanya Stephens, reinforcing the weekend’s focus on contemporary revivalist voices alongside the older roots-reggae threads that Chronixx emphasized on night two.

Attendees at Jamaica's Lost in Time Festival sparked controversy over excessive weed smoking, with calls for non-smoking areas clashing against reggae culture expectations, Original Report stated. The debate surfaced during and after performances, creating tension between festival-goers who called for designated non-smoking zones and others who view cannabis as part of reggae’s cultural fabric.

WIC News also noted that Prime Minister Andrew Holness was spotted at Hope Gardens, "having a great time and enjoying the night with his loved ones," adding a high-profile presence to the weekend. As the Reggae Revival showcase curated by Protoje wrapped on March 1, the crowd-led recovery from the sound outage and the simultaneous smoking controversy are likely to shape how future iterations of Lost in Time balance artist presentation, production reliability, and on-site policies.