Veteran tour manager and booking agent Copeland Forbes says a Buju Banton tour of the United States “would be the biggest thing in reggae this year”.

He believes it would attract thousands of fans, especially in areas with large Jamaican and West Indian communities.

Speculation that the Grammy-winner is planning a major US trek heightened last Friday after photos of him in Miami with hip hop mogul DJ Khaled circulated on social media.

It was the 50-year-old singjay’s first visit to the US since being deported in 2018 after serving eight years in federal prison on drug-related charges.

Buju is reputedly signed to Live Nation Entertainment, an American conglomerate that oversees major venues and works with top acts such as Billy Joel, Janet Jackson, Nicki Minaj, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Lionel Richie, and Chris Stapleton.

“Once they get him into key areas like New York, Florida, Atlanta, the West Coast, places where his fan base is strong, people are going to come out to see him,” Forbes told the Jamaica Observer. “Remember, many of the people who came to the stadium show were from overseas.”

That stadium show was the epic Long Walk to Freedom Concert at the National Stadium in March 2019, which was Buju Banton’s first show since his release from prison that attracted a mammoth audience comprising long-time fans, celebrities, politicians, and private sector leaders.

The Long Walk to Freedom show was followed by similar events in Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, and The Bahamas. Buju Banton subsequently performed in Europe.

DJ Jabba, one of the organisers of the annual Best Of The Best concert in Miami, sparked even more rumours about a US tour by posting on X last weekend, tagging Buju’s manager and Best Of The Best founder Joey Budafuco: “I don’t care if you all are mad at me. First show: New York City.”

Stephen Marley’s Old Soul Tour is the most-anticipated live reggae event in the US this summer. It starts May 25 at the California Roots Festival and is scheduled to close June 8 in Kansas City, Missouri.