Now that the 2026 Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival has wrapped up, the island is getting ready for one of its biggest cultural and entertainment events: Lucian Carnival.
The Carnival Planning and Management Committee (CPMC), which oversees Carnival, has scheduled a full lineup of events for June and July. These include Junior Carnival activities, national events and several private fetes and parties.
The lead-up to Lucian Carnival, which ends on July 22, continued on Wednesday with a cheque presentation from Heineken Saint Lucia, producers of Piton Malta, confirming they will again sponsor Junior Carnival 2026.
Junior Carnival activities will start with the annual school tour this Friday, May 15.
The school tour will introduce students to different aspects of carnival. The first stop is at the Gordon and Walcott Memorial School in Castries.
The CPMC also hosted a tree-planting activity with the delegates for the National Carnival Queen Pageant on Thursday at the Millet Bird Sanctuary.
This week, the CPMC announced that entries are now open for the Groovy and Power Soca Competitions. Artistes are encouraged to submit their entries online using the official submission form.
With the updated competition rules, registration is open to both individuals and groups. Each artist can only register, participate, or appear once and must perform the same song throughout the competition.
The submission deadline is Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 10 p.m.
Calypso is another vibrant part of Lucian Carnival, and calypsonians will start their season next week. The South Calypso tent opens on Friday, May 22, followed by KPT on Saturday, May 23. The Take Over Tent/Soca Village will begin their 2026 events on Sunday, May 24.
