CARIFESTA 2025 brings Africa, Latin America to Barbados’ Stage

CARIFESTA XV has been described as the most ambitious staging in the festival’s 53-year history, with Barbados set to welcome over 2 500 delegates for a 10-day celebration that begins on Thursday.

The 15th edition of the Caribbean Festival of Arts, running August 22 to 31 under the theme Caribbean Roots, Global Excellence, will mark Barbados’ third time hosting the event, following 1981 and 2017.

The festival will break new ground, with delegations from Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Colombia joining CARICOM nations.

“We have never before brought together so many artists, so many voices, so many traditions on one stage. And we have never before welcomed Africa and Latin America in this way,” Prime Minister Mia Mottley said in a national address Sunday, calling the 2025 festival a turning point, both in scale and reach.

“This is who we are, this is where we came from, this is where we are going,” she said.

She urged Barbadians to pack venues, support local vendors, and showcase the island’s hospitality, calling it a “once-in-a-generation moment” to celebrate regional identity.

The prime minister highlighted headline guests, including award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay and Booker Prize-winning novelist Marlon James, alongside major performances by Jamaica’s National Dance Theatre Company, L’Acadco, and a tribute concert celebrating the work of calypso legend Mighty Sparrow.

Festival organisers say the Grand Market, set to open at Queen’s Park, will be the biggest yet, bringing together artisans, designers, authors and culinary talent from across the region.

A dedicated Youth Village at the Barbados Community College will stage workshops, concerts and performances, including the first-ever Regional Youth Jamboree led by choreographer Nigel Taylor.

Mottley said that CARIFESTA is more than just a cultural showcase, but also a chance for Barbadians to connect with their roots while engaging with new ideas. “We will listen, we will celebrate, and we will share. This is a festival of the people.” She linked its success to grassroots participation: “The culture is ours to carry, but it must also be ours to celebrate.”

The programme spans 11 nights of concerts and theatre productions, as well as daily film screenings, fashion showcases, literary salons, and culinary festivals.

“This will be a moment for the Caribbean to show the world the richness of its art and the depth of its creativity,” Mottley said.

CARIFESTA XV opens officially on Thursday evening with a grand ceremony at Kensington Oval.

(SM)