The countdown is on to the greatest summer festival, Antigua Carnival 2024! Carnival in Antigua lasts for up to two weeks with cultural events, fetes, and lots of ACTION. However, I understand that it may not always be possible to get a significant amount of time away from work, so I’m here to show you how you can enjoy Antigua’s carnival all in ONE WEEK. For this schedule, you’ll need four/five days off from work (choose what’s practical for you). Carnival Monday and Tuesday are national holidays in Antigua and fall on the first Monday and Tuesday in August.
Official Festival Dates: July 25th – August 6th
To get the most out of Antigua’s carnival, it may be more lucrative to do the weekend leading up to the parade days. Here’s an itinerary of cultural events, fetes, and activities to explore the island (judging on how well you can keep up, but you’re also free to choose which activities best suit you). If you’re able to stay longer, check out my Antigua and Barbuda Travel Guide for more activities.
Thursday 1st August
The eve of the weekend and the perfect time to arrive in Antigua for the Carnival festivities. It’s also a good day to ensure you have everything in order and get any last minute necessities while on island. Usually, mas troupes would have began costume distributions during this week, so ensure to check your band’s schedule.
Fetes:
Drink Til Ya Weak
This is an all-inclusive boat cruise and beach party; that usually starts around 2 p.m. so if you have an early flight, great. Straight from the airport into the fete? However, if the timing doesn’t work out for you here are some other options.
Events:
Caribbean Melting Pot
8:00 P.M. | Antigua Recreation Grounds (ARG) / Carnival City
This event is a part of the official carnival events. It’s a concert featuring artists from across the region and has general and VIP entry available. It can be a nice vibe to get your weekend started, especially if there’s a good lineup. Last year’s headliner was Bunji Garlin and Fay-Ann Lyons, if that’s any indication of what to expect.
Other Options:
Dinner Vibes
If you’re not ready to fete, here are some dinner options around the island offering different cuisines:
- Casa Roots by the Beach
- Sheer Rocks
- Lemongrass Thai
- South Point
- Catherines
- Colibri
- Gather Steakhouse
- Basilico
Friday 2nd August
Brunch
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Grab a nice breakfast on your first morning in Antigua and fuel up for a packed day. The pace for the weekend starts now and after all, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Some great brunch options are: Bayhouse, The Larder, Garden Grill, Blue Waters, or Weatherills. Check out my Brunch Spots in Antigua post for more options.
Another option is an Eat n’ Lime Food Tour which occurs in the capital, St. John’s, and allows you to enjoy 4-5 different eateries with local cuisine.
Mini Island Tour
12 p.m. – 5 p.m.
I would also take this day to see a bit of the island, whether it’s through a tour company or exploring solo- the opportunities are endless here. Beach hop (the south-western coast is a must), swim with Stingrays, or check out the English Harbour area (Nelson’s Dockyard, Lunch at Loose Canon beach bar, sunset at Shirley Heights). Take it slow to conserve your energy for if you choose to party in the night or get an early start on Saturday with lots of options to choose from.
Beach bars options to chill at include Starfish (Salt Plage), Treehouse Beach Club, or Wild Tamarind for your afternoon pre-game.
Fetes:
B.F.F.: Best F**king Fete
3:00 P.M. – 9:00 P.M
Cooler Fete
Carnival Friday just go a whole lot cooler! It’s a cooler fete and was held for the first time last year on Carnival Friday. It was XCD $60 in advance.
Events:
Calypso Monarch
8:00 P.M. | Antigua Recreation Grounds (ARG)/Carnival City
This is a competition where Calypsonians compete for the King/Queen title. Last year, it was $30 which gives you entry to one of the most dramatic shows during the festivities.
Saturday 3rd August
Given the range of events on this day, there’s no time for anything else unless, of course you’re not Mr./Mrs. Fete. If you won’t be attending multiple fetes on this day, feel free to squeeze in an activity mentioned on a previous day. If you’re reserving your energy for mas, this may be a day for costume collection, so take note.
Fetes:
RISE #WeOwnTheMorning
12:00 A.M. – 8:00 A.M. | Sir Vivian Richards Stadium (Parking Lot)
A stationary J’ouvert fete with paint, water, and majority soca music. Early bird tickets are currently on sale for the month of April on the Ticketing App.
Ripple x Tease
More info will be released at a later date. It’s a Boat cruise and Beach party.
Carnival Dreamz
12:00 P.M. – 8:00 P.M. | Hodges Bay
An ultra all-inclusive day fete from the promoters of Blue Jeans, which is a staple pre-carnival fete. This will be their second year having this event.
Events:
Panorama Competition
8:00 P.M. | Antigua Recreation Grounds (ARG) / Carnival City
During this show, around eight or so local steel pan bands compete using arrangements from past/current local soca and calypso songs. While it’s a competition, it’s also a great display of our local culture.
Sunday 4th August
Another packed day of fetes to enjoy before Carnival Monday and Tuesday. A slower pace option for this day is the BBQ and Sunset Party at Shirley Heights Lookout.
Fetes:
De Breakfas’ Fete
4:00 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.
A full scale breakfast party offering a wide selection of eats including breakfast, lunch, snacks, and cocktails. They normally have a good amount of food and bar/cocktail stalls offering samples of various dishes and drinks. It’s a large venue with the food station on one end and the entertainment area on another. There’s also local and regional performances, with a good range of old-school calypso music in the morning followed by soca artistes.
Lemonade
More details will be released.
Brunch and Soca
This is a new addition to the fete line-up in Antigua this year, and it’s an international event held during different carnivals. It is described as a premium brunch experience. More information coming soon.
Events:
Party Monarch
8:00 P.M. | Antigua Recreation Grounds (ARG) / Carnival City
If you don’t know the Antiguan soca music by this point, here’s your last minute opportunity to hear this year’s soca tracks on display as artists compete for the King/Queen groovy and jumpy title. These are usually large-scale performances and well-attended by locals. If you’re bold enough, you can go straight from the show into J’ouvert.
Monday
J’ouvert
3:00 A.M. – 10:00 A.M.
One of my favourite road experiences is J’ouvert. If you choose to play, this falls on the same Monday as the first parade day, so be mindful of this when booking makeup appointments and organising your schedules. The route is a bit different from Monday and Tuesday and usually takes place around St. John’s City. There are several bands on the road including Project Sync, Chattabox, Brewmasters and Invaders and possibly more if you want to join, or others opt to jam for free alongside the masqueraders.
Carnival Monday
2:00 P.M.
In Antigua we have two parade days. On the first day, you wear your Monday wear costume. These are included in your costume packages based on your band. Persons have the option of wearing their own designs but always ensure to have the given wristband for entry.
Another thing to note is that both Monday and Tuesday is completely optional, and persons can choose to play on either one of the days if they don’t want to do both. Some persons even choose to do Monday with one band, and Tuesday with another which can help you to experience more on the road.
Tuesday
Parade of the Bands
*12:00 P.M.
*the official parade time for all the bands and the meet up time for your specific band will be different
On this day, you wear your costume for your selected band and will meet up at the assigned point. Given it starts a bit earlier than Monday, your band may also provide breakfast or snacks prior to hitting the road. Last year I used the opportunity to do a pre-road photoshoot on the beach with BeeYou Media in my costume *best decision ever*.
Last Lap
7:00 P.M.
Your last chance to enjoy being in costume and experience Carnival in Antigua! This may be another lap around the parade route, a jam session back to the mas camp and/or a final party at the mas camp/meet up point. Again, this will be based on the band you play with and will be communicated prior to the start of the parade.
PRO TIP:
Walk with your money! Although the bands may offer snacks and meals on the road, there are also lots of local vendors on the road that you can support. Plus you never know what you may need cash for and better to be prepared.
Wednesday
For your final day before departing the beautiful island of Antigua, enjoy a cool down activity. There’s 365 beaches to choose from or there are two floating bars (Kai Koconut or Kon Tiki). Enjoy a spa day at one of our top spas – Curtain Bluff, Royalton, Blue Waters, Zurie Eudoxie, Touch Therapies, Wellness Footprints & more.
Carnival Road Checklist
- Portable Charger
- Waterproof Phone Case
- Fanny Pack or Thigh Bag
- Feminine Wipes
- Skin-tone Stockings
- Portable Fan
- Self-Defense Key Chain
- Identification Cards (preferably not your Passport)
- Cash (EC Dollars, but US is accepted at a 2.6/2.7 exchange at most places)
- Travel Size Sunscreen
- Chapstick/Lipgloss
- Pasties
For further details on visiting Antigua for carnival be sure to check out my guide to Antigua’s greatest summer festival which includes suggestions on places to stay, bands to play with and more information.
Please note the dates for the carnival events mentioned above are last years dates and may be changed. This post will be updated as information is received to ensure proper planning. Check out Ticketing App for list of events and to purchase tickets for the various fetes mentioned.
See you on the road or in the feteeeeeeeee
As Told by Ali 