I recently fell in love with St.Lucia Carnival in 2018 and before I left the island, I knew I would be back. The vibe, music and events are unlike any other carnival I’ve experienced. Dennery soca has been making its climb into our hearts since 2015 with hits like Split in the Middle, Piwat and Bad in Bum Bum
If you’ve been looking to check out a small island carnival, St.Lucia Carnival is where it’s at.
St.Lucia Carnival 2019 events are on the following dates: July 11 – July 17.
St. Lucia is a TWO DAY carnival. Carnival Monday is the day you will wear your carnival costume, Carnival Tuesday is the day you will wear whatever you want. (think Monday wear, parts of your costume from Carnival Monday etc)
The parades will take place on July 15-16, 2019.
GETTING THERE
St. Lucia has two airports, UVF in the south of the island which is about a 1.5 hour drive from Castries and SLU which is in Castries. SLU tends to be more expensive to fly into but it is the more convenient airport.
WHERE TO PARTY
St. Lucia Carnival offers a different type of experience because of their soca. Yes, they play other island soca but when local soca comes in, it’s a different vibe. St. Lucians also throw really great beach cooler fetes. Events thrown by Deeper than Soca, Verve and Just 4 Fun are not to be missed. A comprehensive fete list will be available by June 2019.
WHERE TO GET COSTUMES
There are several bands to choose but from but no band is like the other. Costume prices are reasonable, you can get a frontline costume between the range of $650-$800usd. These are your band options:
- Xuvo Carnival launched their “Her Majesty” theme on January 19, 2019 [Global Carnivalist Recommended]
- Asari Tribe launched their “Les Perdus” theme on December 1, 2018
- Fuzion Mas launched their “Butterfly Effect” theme on December 23, 2018
- Just 4 Fun Carnival launched their “Phoebia” theme January 26, 2019
- Red Unlimited launched their “Persia” theme on February 3, 2019
- Island Tribe launched their “Big Bang” theme on February 9, 2019
- Legends Carnival launched their “Veni, Vidi, Vici” theme on February 19, 2019
- Taboo Carnival launched their “Wu-Zing” theme on February 24, 2019
I’ve decided to play mas with Xuvo Carnival for St.Lucia Carnival 2019, and most of their sections are selling out very quickly. I highly recommend masqueraders register soon.
WHERE TO STAY
St. Lucia has some of the best hotels in the Caribbean. That said, accommodations can be quite costly if you choose to go with an all -inclusive. Carnival festivities take place near the Rodney Bay/Gros Islet area of the island, with almost 80% of the events taking place at Pigeon Point. Some hotels to check out are:
- Coco Palm Resort – Walking distance from local bars
- Harbor Club – On the main road to and from events
- Bay Garden Resort
- Hideaway at Royalton
- Royalton Resort & Spa
- Windjammer – A bit tucked away but if you have a car, or a personal driver, it’s do-able
- Papillon – LAST resort option, All inclusive hotel but overall I would not recommend
TOURISTY THINGS TO CHECKOUT
- Pitons
- Sulfur Springs
- Marigot Bay
- Reduit Beach
- Friday night Fish Fry
I hope to see you all there. I will personally be on the road with Xuvo Carnival so please join me for the premium Lucian experience.
Yours in Mas,
