Residents react to Independence Day Parade move 

The 2023 Independence Day Parade will not be held at Kensington Oval this year, as the facility is unavailable. The Bridgetown Port and the Garrison Savannah were also ruled out, so the parade will instead be held at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex and the march past will be along Black Rock, St Michael.

Barbados TODAY spoke to members of the public about their views on the move.

Jamar Springer, 35

I don’t think it would be a good venue to hold the Independence Parade because down there, it is too small for the amount of people that will be down there and there will be a lot of congestion on the road. The West Coast will be busy with tourists coming to the island.

Tyson Bourne, 45

The same way we have the Parish Ambassador Programme, I think we can carry the parade parish to parish year after year because having it in St Michael becoming too repetitive. Select a parish and a venue where everyone can see, the same way it would be done in town. We should bring it to the communities because we all are community-based citizens.

Sharon Bellamy, 53

This is our 57th year of Independence and we must have the parade so if we could not have it at the Bridgetown Port and the Garrison Savannah, I agree that it’s okay to have it at the Usain Bolt Sports Complex.

Christopher Stuart, 50

I really like Kensington Oval and the Garrison Savannah but as it is at Usain Bolt Sports Complex, I would have to live with it. I like to watch the parade and I will be there; it cannot miss me. I like to see the children beat the drums.

Wendy Popo, 50s

I don’t feel any way much about it but I was really expecting to go Kensington Oval and carry my grandchildren. Their mother is in the Barbados Defence Force and she takes part in the march and they want to see her.