Hundreds of people danced the night away at the inaugural Summer Splash music festival on Friday, 14 Aug. which saw attendees at Public Beach party until the early hours.

Billed as Cayman’s “premier end-of-summer music festival”, the programme – which began at 7pm and ended at 1.30am – featured R&B, reggae, dancehall, soca and Caribbean music. The event was hosted by Island 98.9 FM radio morning show host Xosia McGregor.

The festival was headlined by American R&B and pop singer, songwriter, dancer and actress Mýa, who rose to fame in 1998 with her self-titled debut album as well as hits including 90s and 2000s singles “It’s All About Me,” “Ghetto Supastar,” and “Take Me There”.

With tickets still available on the night, there was plenty of room to dance the night away and the enthusiastic audience did just that – getting into the party mood with a succession of local artists and DJs including Oprehay, Rico Rolando and steel pan specialist James Munroe Jr.

As darkness fell, Trinidad and Tobago duo Full Blown revved up the crowd with a high-energy performance perfectly complemented by the luminous, multisensory stage settings, before Mýa appeared on stage at around 11pm. Overcoming some initial sound problems, she delighted the crowd with spirited rendition of her best-known hits, including her Grammy Award-winning 2001 cover of “Lady Marmalade” as well as some new numbers, supported by backing dancers.

The evening was capped off by Jamaican reggae and dancehall hitmaker Serani, who seemed to enjoy a warm Caymanian welcome after announcing his arrival on island to his many fans on social media.