Two shows, 12 artistes, one fun-packed, spirit-filled event.
That's what patrons can look forward to at this year's instalment of Glow Fest–the number one gospel affair in T&T.
Now in its seventh year, the event which is hosted by Glow Entertainment, will be held at the Queen's Park Savannah, Port-of-Spain, on July 9.
Organiser and founder of Glow Fest, Kern Cowan, says this year's tagline is Experience the Glow and he wanted to offer something "exceptional" so that patrons can not only enjoy clean fun and wholesome music but leave the venue feeling refreshed, renewed and restored.
"This time around it's all about the Glow experience. It will be intuitive, exciting and an opportunity for people to praise and worship together and really connect with God. We want it to be more than just a concert. With the current state of our country, there is need to give people encouragement and let them know that despite what's going on around them, God is still in charge and there's always a need to give Him thanks and praise," he says.
"We need to give the light more opportunities to shine because when the light shines it eliminates the darkness. We need to bring healing in a major way to the entire nation and that overall is what gives events like these strength. It's not only about the music but about touching lives and really reaching out to people."
Headlining the concert is industry heavyweight and Grammy Award winner, Deitrick Haddon–an American gospel recording artiste, songwriter, music producer, pastor and actor, who's best known for his progressive gospel and contemporary styles of music.
The Be Like Jesus and Well Done singer is also currently part of the reality television show, Preachers of LA, which chronicles the lives of six preachers. In 2011, Haddon released the much-anticipated Church on the Moon, his fifth album with Verity Records which debuted at number one on the Billboard's Top Gospel charts and number 65 on the Billboard 200.
Also performing at Glow–which stands for God's Lyrical Offering of His Word–will be T&T's very own Positive, DJ Nicholas, Curtis Jordan, Nehilet Blackman and Sherwin Gardner–just to name a few.
Positive, real name Joel Murray, who's now signed to Bricksvale Records, says he's excited to once again be a part of the Glow Fest cast and notes that fans can look forward to hearing some of the biggest tracks of his career.
"I want people to get a taste of the journey of Positive over the last decade. God has been really good to me during my journey and I want to share from the pipelines. It's always a privilege to be a part of Glow Fest.
"This lineup is a group of people that I love and respect and it's a great feeling to stand in the midst of colleagues in the ministry," said the Tobagonian singer, who shot into the spotlight with his 2008 hit, Never Let Go.
Nehilet Blackman, daughter of late cultural icon, Garfield Blackman, known in the music world as Ras Shorty I, shares similar sentiments.
"This is the first time that I'll be performing as a solo artiste without my band. I did the band life for over 30 years so singing tracks for me is a new thing and I'm scared but excited at the same time. I'm definitely looking forward to it. Fans can also look out for my performance with another top local gospel artiste who will be joining me on stage."
Cowan adds that a new element to the 2016 event is a 45-minute pre-show showcasing five up-and-coming local gospel artistes who will also perform for the crowd.
"So it's like two shows for one ticket. We really wanted to do something special this year and we feel it's important to give young talent a chance to shine. We have also introduced a kids zone and an all-inclusive VIP section to make the experience an enjoyable one.
"Last year we had a great show with about 6,000 people and we are hoping to surpass that this year and put on a superb production," he said.