Junior Carnival Moves to Sunday Over Storm Threat By Twylan Best The Festival Management Committee (FMC) has announced that the 2026 Junior Carnival Parade has been rescheduled from Saturday, July 18 to Sunday, July 19, 2026, due to forecasts calling for heavy rain and thunderstorms. In a notice issued to band leaders on July 15, […]
Calypso Tent offers a space for community By Aishwarya Marbeer Energetic performances, good vibes, audience members singing along, and laughter filled the room as The Calypso Tent is back for another carnival season. Organized by the Organization of Calypso Performing Artistes (OCPA), the annual event is more than about performing and the competition, it’s a […]
By Stephen Weir Windsor is preparing for one of its liveliest weekends of the summer as the Windsor International Diaspora African Festival (WIDAFEST) returns August 20 to 23, bringing Caribbean music, culture and carnival traditions to southwestern Ontario with support from the Toronto Caribbean Carnival. This year’s festival promises to be its biggest yet, highlighted […]
Say Oui Oui to Montreal’s Carimas next week By Stephen Weir “Nous sommes une famille” is how the Sister Sledge anthem “We Are Family” sounds in French. You will likely hear plenty of singing if you travel to Montreal next week to take in that city’s Caribbean Carnival, Carimas. Montreal will burst into a riot […]
Mas in the Six The Master Builders Behind Big Mas By Twylan Best Toronto Carnival has always been more than a parade of colour and sound, it is a living archive of Caribbean imagination, resilience, and storytelling. Each year, thousands of masqueraders step onto the road in feathers, beadwork, wireframes, and sequins, but behind every […]
Carnival Season Begins in Spectacular Style By Twylan Best The countdown to Toronto Caribbean Carnival 2026 officially began on Saturday as thousands gathered in the parking lot outside Scarborough Town Centre for the festival’s annual launch event, transforming the space into a vibrant showcase of Caribbean culture, music, food and community spirit. The launch marked […]
Rhoma Spencer Explores Carnival’s Hidden Roots Toronto’s Caribbean arts community gathered on Saturday, May 30, for the cocktail launch and reception of Danse Macabre, a bold new theatrical production by acclaimed Trinidad-born playwright and performer Rhoma Spencer. Hosted by the Canadian Caribbean Arts Network (CCAN), the evening offered guests an intimate look into a production […]
Carnival Nationz Launches “V La Copa Mundial 11” Photos by Gilbert Medina Fresh off another major triumph in Trinidad and Tobago, veteran mas designer Marcus Eustace is once again setting his sights on the road in Toronto as Carnival Nationz unveiled its 2026 presentation before a packed crowd in Scarborough. The launch, held at the […]
Next Generation Leads Saldenah Mas into 2026 The next chapter of one of Toronto Carnival’s most storied mas bands is now firmly in motion, as Saldenah Mas unveiled its 2026 presentation, HALO, during a high-energy launch at Rebel Entertainment Complex this past weekend. Leading the charge this year is bandleader Aaron Saldenah, who, alongside his […]
Jamaica Carnival 2026 gears up for record-breaking season As anticipation builds for the 2026 staging of Jamaica Carnival, excitement is already reaching a fever pitch, with major bands and international soca stars adding momentum to what is shaping up to be one of the biggest years yet for the island’s premier party experience. Carnival band […]
