Art Museum showcases ‘Carnival Blues’ By Neil Armstrong Photos by Nila Gupta As the busy carnival weekend approaches, enthusiasts will be able to participate in “Carnival Blues,” a celebratory cycle of programming over two days to mark the conclusion of the exhibition “Land. Sea. Sugar. Salt.: Terrestrial and Aquatic Contemplations of the Caribbean,” at Art […]
Carnival Spirit Fills Toronto’s Waterfront By Stephen Weir Before the Grand Parade stepped off on Saturday morning, the Toronto Caribbean Carnival officially welcomed thousands of masqueraders and spectators to Exhibition Place. Ontario Premier Doug Ford joined festival organizers, elected officials, including the Toronto mayor, and community leaders at the opening ceremony, praising the Carnival as […]
Toronto Caribbean Carnival: the city’s bright light By Twylan Best Toronto came alive once again as the streets transformed into a vibrant display of culture, creativity and Caribbean pride for the Toronto Caribbean Carnival Grand Parade. From sunrise to sunset, masqueraders filled the Lakeshore with infectious energy, bringing months of preparation to life through breathtaking […]
The Toronto Caribbean Carnival will receive a $61,000 federal investment aimed at supporting local artists, performers and cultural programming as the festival prepares to celebrate its 59th year. Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry and Member of Parliament, announced the funding on behalf of Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture […]
Crooner’s calypso challenges politics and public conscience Crooner’s victory in this year’s Calypso Monarch competition was not built on a catchy chorus alone. “This Is Your Man” is a fearless political commentary, delivered in the tradition that has always made calypso far more than entertainment. It is satire, protest, social criticism and, above all, a […]
Louis Saldenah sees family legacy continue with near sweep at Toronto Caribbean Carnival By Kojo Retired mas legend Louis Saldenah watched with pride this week as the next generation of Saldenah designers and performers delivered an impressive showing at the 2026 Toronto Caribbean Carnival, capturing major titles in both the junior and senior competitions and […]
Uncut, untamed, unmatched – the future of Carnival shines bright By Twylan Best When I sat down with Kizaisha Agyapong, Costume Creators Cultural Arts’ Queen titleholder, and Rayanna JohnJules, the band’s Female Individual titleholder, one thing became immediately clear — both young women share a deep passion for Carnival, culture, and ensuring the next generation […]
Why GO Transit Is Carnival’s Best Ride By Anthony Joseph For the past several years, attending the Toronto Caribbean Carnival has become one of my favourite summer traditions. Living in Ajax, I learned long ago that driving downtown on Carnival weekend simply isn’t worth it. Heavy traffic, road closures, expensive parking and the long drive […]
Pan Fantasy Defends Eleven-Year Winning Streak By Lincoln DePradine Panorama, the Toronto competition branded as “Pan Alive’’ that determines the best-playing steelband in Canada, will be a watershed and an history-making one for whomsoever is adjudged the winner this year. Pan Fantasy, if victorious in the Ontario Steelpan Association (OSA) contest, will extend their winning […]
How Caribana Inspired My Steelpan Journey By Akir Brathwaite When I think back to Toronto’s Caribana, my mind always goes to 2011 when I had the incredible opportunity to play steel pan with Pan Fantasy. For the months leading up to carnival, we rehearsed twice a week under the direction of our founder and bandleader, […]
