Tarrus Riley Removed From 2026 ‘Best Of The Best’ Miami Lineup After Dispute Over Another South Florida Booking
Tarrus Riley has been removed from the 2026 Best Of The Best Music Fest lineup in Miami after the festival objected to his separate free Fort Lauderdale appearance scheduled days later.
Riley’s management issued a statement on Wednesday, May 20, saying the Reggae singer had been “officially contracted and advertised” for the May 24 concert and remained “willing and able to perform as agreed.”
“Neither Mr. Riley nor his management have breached any contractual obligations related to this event,” the statement said. “The decision to remove Tarrus Riley from the lineup was made solely and unilaterally by the promoters of Best Of The Best.”
Riley, in the same release, told fans he had expected to perform in Miami with his full band.
“Miami, mi heart did set fi come gi yuh a proper show,” he said. “Mi did ready — full band, full energy. But some things outta mi control. Fort Lauderdale, June 5, mi a come hold a vibe wid yu acoustic style. Wi soon link up again, real way.”
His team also addressed the June 5 Fort Lauderdale appearance, saying it was a separate acoustic set for a City of Fort Lauderdale community event hosted by the Mayor’s Office. They said that booking served “a different audience, in a different city, with a different production” and created no conflict with the Best Of The Best performance.
Best Of The Best responded in its official statement, saying Riley would no longer appear on this year’s festival lineup because of the Fort Lauderdale booking.
The festival said it “was not made aware” of Riley’s booking for a free event in the South Florida market until last week. After learning of it, Best Of The Best said the decision to remove him was made “out of respect for both the artist and his supporters.”
“As Tarrus Riley is scheduled to perform at a free event approximately 35 minutes away just days after Best of the Best Music Fest, we believe it is only fair to allow fans the opportunity to enjoy that experience without having to choose between events,” the festival said.
Best Of The Best is set for Sunday, May 24, at Museum Park in Miami.