ATI/Dream weekend promises bigger and better fun this summer, with both party series back on for Emancipation weekend.

Scheduled for July 30-August 2 in Negril, both Dream weekend and ATI (Appleton Tempation Isle) are looking to provide patrons with an even better party package than last year. For Dream weekend which was initiated last year by the 'Dream Team' of promoters, the same line up of events are back with Absinthe, Twisted Spiritz, Xtremme Wet N Wild, Daydreams, Beer Vibes, Yush and Smirnoff Xclusive.

According to Alex Chin, promoter for ATI, the line-up hasn't been officially announced but most of the parties will hopefully be back this year with the inclusion of one of Ocho Rios' signature parties - Impy Skimpy. For both party series last year was another good year of partying.

money's worth

Chin commented, "we thought it was good, thought we gave the people their money's worth and all the parties were excellent, just expect the regular professionalism from all the parties. The ATI parties stand out in the vibes they put in, they are the original set of parties in Negril and that goes a long way." Last year there were 4000-5000 patrons at each event, said Chin.

Last year was the first year for the newly created Dream Weekend and according to Dream promoter Kamal Bankay it was beyond expectations.

He said, "I was overwhelmed by two things, the demand for the brand; We always knew we had great events that could provide a great experience but it was beyond what we expected. The feedback was great, everyone was like 'yo it was amazing.' Parties like Wet N Wild saw 6,000 patrons, Beer Vibes got 5,000 and Daydreams 4,500 so it was good."

Both events are planning big launch parties for the summer and will host events leading up to the Emancipation Weekend.

For ATI, Chin said there will be pre-Negril events like Xtatic Fridays in Ocho Rios, Quench and Heatwave, INK in Negril, Appleton Pier Pressure Fridays at Pier 1 in Montego Bay, among others.

While Bankay says for Dream Weekend there will be islandwide events to be announced and pre-Dream parties such as Twisted Spiritz on May 15, Osmosis on July 3 and Absinthe on July 11.

For this year, the Dream promoters are looking for bigger and better venues to satisfy their growing crowd while keeping other plans for weekend under wraps until the launch. For Chin, ATI plans to change the set up and themes, giving patrons something different.