BASSETERRE, St Kitts —With Sugar Mas 55 just a few weeks away, the St Kitts and Nevis National Carnival Committee (SKNNCC) said it is prepared for what is expected to be another bumper year of festivities.

SKNNCC Director Clement “Monarch” Ogarro told Caribbean Pulse that planning for what is the largest annual event in St Kitts and Nevis had been under way for several months, with the committee stepping up efforts not only to organise the festival but also to build brand awareness.

“For the past couple of years, we’ve been out early, we’ve been around promoting the carnival in different islands. We were in Antigua, we were in Anguilla, and quite a few other places as well. So, yes, the planning has gone very well,” he said.

“We have some new members of the executive. So we’ve expanded the roles and that has helped us to ensure that our planning goes well, even with issues from time to time.”

Despite the preparations, Ogarro said there “will always be stumbles” when organising an event of this magnitude.

Last year, the festival attracted 20,000 people, with total spending in the economy reaching $29 million.

In 2024, 16,000 people visited with a spend of $19 million.

Ogarro said these figures were encouraging for the SKNNCC as it continues its efforts to establish Sugar Mas as a premier Caribbean carnival product.

He told Caribbean Pulse that connecting with the diaspora was also important to the festival’s growth.

Keeping Sugar Mas affordable

As Sugar Mas attracts more visitors, the committee is also looking at ways to keep the festival accessible and affordable for both residents and visitors.

“I saw a report where someone was saying, hey, once I’ve been to X or Y carnival, there’s no need for me to go back because everything is so expensive. So that’s one of the things that we’re taking into consideration as well. We want people to be able to enjoy their mas.”

Ogarro said the committee works with private event promoters, with support from the Government and Minister of Tourism, Civil Aviation and Urban Development Samuel Duggins, to help manage event costs.

He said financial assistance to promoters had helped them avoid charging what he described as exorbitant prices, allowing more people to attend major events.

The committee has also moved some national carnival events, including the Soca Monarch and Calypso Monarch competitions, to earlier in December.

This helps create a structured programme around what Ogarro described as a “power week”, which also incorporates major private fetes.

The aim, he said, is to give people opportunities to enjoy several events without making the cost of participation prohibitive.

Keeping St Kitts and Nevis culture at the forefront

As Sugar Mas grows in popularity, Ogarro said traditional cultural elements are being promoted to ensure they have equal prominence alongside the pretty mas.

Working with the Department of Creative Economy and Culture, the committee supports the participation of traditional characters and groups, including the bull, clown and masquerade.

Ogarro said these performers appear at village events and competitions ahead of the main carnival period. They also feature in the junior parade and lead the Grand Parade into Basseterre.

He said the committee engages with cultural groups to address the costs associated with costumes and performances, including the expense of producing traditional outfits.

Maintaining appropriate compensation, he added, is important to ensuring these traditions continue to have a visible place in the celebrations alongside the more contemporary presentation of carnival through costumes, feathers and beads.

Security planning after last year’s fatal incident

Security will also be a major consideration following a fatal stabbing during last year’s carnival.

Kaden Hanley, 18, of Shadwell Estate was stabbed during the Last Lap festivities in Basseterre. Following the incident, the SKNNCC cancelled the remaining final-night events scheduled for the Bacchanal District.

Ogarro said the committee had already met with the security forces’ high command to begin planning for the upcoming season.

He noted that the concentration of large crowds in a relatively small area of Basseterre during J’ouvert and the Grand Parade presented challenges for crowd management.

Among the options being considered are creating additional space and relocating some events outside the capital to help security personnel monitor activities and respond to emergencies.

Ogarro said the committee would work with the security forces on any changes needed to protect the public, including complying with decisions to shut down an event if necessary.

He also appealed to patrons to make safety a priority and attend the celebrations to enjoy themselves without violence.

Changes to Soca Monarch competition

The committee is introducing changes to the Soca Monarch competition in an effort to give local artistes greater exposure and strengthen the event’s place in the carnival calendar.

Previously, preliminary judging was based on submitted tracks, with 16 Groovy and 16 Power artistes advancing to the semi-finals.

For Sugar Mas 55, recorded submissions will account for 50 per cent of the judging, with live performances making up the remaining portion. The committee held a live preliminary performance on November 6, a format Ogarro said had not been used for some time.

The committee has also engaged four local influencers to help promote the festival, responding to feedback from residents about the role of local personalities in its marketing.

Ogarro said the changes were intended to give local talent more opportunities and help the competition develop into one of the major attractions of the carnival season.