Officials meet to finalise plans for CARIFESTA XV in Barbados

Planning for CARIFESTA XV, the Caribbean’s premier arts festival, is ramping up ahead of its staging in Barbados from August 22 to 31.
The 31st Regional Cultural Committee (RCC) opened today at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre, bringing together directors of culture, technical officials, and the CARICOM Secretariat to finalise logistics, venues, and programming for the ten-day showcase.

Carol Roberts, CEO of the National Cultural Foundation and Festival Director, said the team is committed to ensuring this year’s festival is among the most impactful.

“We are looking forward to vibrant and meaningful discussions towards our collective goal and that collective goal is to make this, the 15th edition of CARIFESTA, the best that we can,” Roberts said.

“CARIFESTA is the truest expression of our collective creativity, heritage, and culture… it is sacred, and it is world-class.”

CARIFESTA XV will run alongside Crop Over, We Gatherin’ 2025, and the Season of Emancipation, creating a month-long cultural celebration across Barbados.

Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, Michelle Maynard said the convergence of events underscores the national commitment to cultural development.

“This is the year for culture,” she said, adding that CARIFESTA events will fall within the Season of Emancipation, which runs from April 14 to August 27.

This is the third time Barbados is hosting the regional festival, having previously staged it in 1981 and 2017. Planning officially began in 2023. (SM)