Nuku’alofa – Global reggae heavyweights UB40 featuring Ali Campbell are set to ignite Teufaiva Stadium on 28 January 2026, launching their Big Love Pacific Tour in what is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated international music events to reach Tonga in years.
As the tour gathers momentum, it has sparked renewed interest not only in the arrival of a major international act but also in the musical roots that have helped shape the Kingdom’s cultural identity.
Many Tongans have been reflecting on the legacy of the Pōle‘o brothers of Vaini — Foni, Vaka, and ‘Ulise — whose creativity helped define Tonga’s emerging reggae sound through the 1970s, 80s, and 90s.
Their work blended reggae influences with Tongan poetry, dance traditions and Pacific storytelling, creating a sound that resonated across island communities long before global reggae became mainstream in the region.
UB40’s 2006 show still lives in local memory as a moment of rare musical unity, when an estimated fifteen thousand people packed Teufaiva for what became one of Nuku‘alofa’s most iconic entertainment events.
Their return now rekindles nostalgia for an era when reggae, island harmonies, and Tongan cultural pride were deeply intertwined.
The upcoming show will include performances by regional and local artists such as Swiss Fejoint, DJ Noiz, DJ Darren (the eldest son of Vaka Pōle’o) and Blkb3ry, adding Pacific representation to an already highly anticipated night.
Ali Campbell has expressed excitement about returning to Tonga, describing the Kingdom as one of his favourite places in the world and looking forward to sharing music with “our South Pacific brothers and sisters.”
Where Reggae Meets Tonga
For many Tongans, UB40’s music became part of the soundtrack of migration and adaptation, echoing the experiences of families establishing new lives in Aotearoa, Australia, the United States and elsewhere.
In those same decades, the Pōle‘o brothers were shaping Tonga’s contemporary soundscape, crafting reggae in pure Tongan and in bilingual form, winning awards and leading festival stages.
Foni’s albums, including Warrior of Love (1996) and Irie Nation (1995), along with his love song Hulitā, became popular favourites across the Pacific, with Hulitā later rerecorded by multiple artists throughout the region, including in Fiji and Samoa.
Vaka’s work in the 1990s left a strong imprint on the local music scene, remembered for popular tracks such as Tuilavoni and Tangi Muimui, both of which continue to feature widely in Tongan music playlists today.
Ulise’s guitarist influence reached across Tongan, Samoan, and Fijian music in the Pacific and throughout diaspora communities. His distinctive reggae‑infused guitar work and signature Tongan chord progressions shaped a catalogue that left a lasting mark on contemporary Pacific music.
His key albums included Love Is All We Need (1996), and among his most enduring tracks were Funga Sia, Eva Mai, and We Wanna Go Back, all of which remain staples for Pacific audiences.
Celebrating Island Sound
Social media buzz around the Big Love Pacific Tour is growing, with fans marking Campbell’s return by sharing their excitement and revisiting beloved UB40 classics such as Red Red Wine and Can’t Help Falling in Love.
For many in the arts community, it is a moment to revisit and honour the Pōle‘o legacy and the wider tradition of Tongan musicians who transformed global genres into local expression—carrying reggae into Tongan rhythm, language and lived experience.
The Pōleʻo brothers’ reggae initially drew strongly from the style of Bob Marley, whose roots reggae foregrounded cultural identity, spiritual resilience and social consciousness—elements most clearly reflected in Foni’s seminal Warrior of Love album.
By the 1980s, UB40’s rise introduced a softer, melodic and multicultural pop‑reggae style that later defined the Pōleʻos’ popular love songs and mid‑tempo sound. Together, Marley and UB40 formed the genre’s twin pillars — Marley as the roots prophet, UB40 as the global populariser whose influence helped shape Pacific reggae traditions, with the Pōleʻos playing an instrumental role in that evolution.
As Teufaiva prepares for thousands of concert-goers, the anticipation reflects both the global reach of UB40 and the pride Tonga holds for its own creative lineage. The night is expected not only to celebrate reggae, but to recall the footsteps of Tongan pioneers whose music, like UB40’s, crossed oceans and generations.
UB40’s return will therefore stand as both a major entertainment event and a cultural homecoming, where international reggae meets Tongan memory, identity and musical heritage.
