IMAGES: GETTY; ©CMT M. GILBERT; CAYMAS
From left: Guadeloupe’s coast has both white-sand beaches and dramatic volcanic shores; costumes at the Martinique Carnival in Fort-de-France are inspired by Creole culture; Curaçao’s capital, Willemstad, is packed with Dutch colonial buildings; CayMAS outfits range from glittering bodysuits to feathered showstoppers
15–18 FEBRUARY 2026 Martinique Carnival Held in the days leading up to Ash Wednesday, this four- day fete blends the island’s African heritage with its French colonial influence. Parades fill the streets of Fort-de-France with zouk music, elaborate costumes and symbolic characters. Look out for Vaval, the Carnival King who marks the start of the celebrations, and Nèg gwo siwo, covered in molasses and charcoal, who symbolises the enslaved people who escaped into the mountains. The satirical Mariages Burlesques is another stand-out, where gender roles are playfully reversed, as well as the solemn Ash Wednesday finale, when Vaval is burned to mark the end of festivities.
martinique.org
16–17 FEBRUARY 2026 Carriacou Carnival Tiny but spirited Carriacou comes to life every February with this Carnival celebration rooted in African and European traditions. Held in Hillsborough, the festival includes vibrant ‘mas’ bands, drumming performances and parades that pulse through the town’s streets. Shakespeare Mas is one of Carriacou’s most distinctive traditions, where costumed participants face off in lively duels, reciting lines from Shakespeare — any slip-ups are met by a playful tap from a stick-wielding challenger. It’s a blend of theatre, ritual and community spirit you won’t find anywhere else in the Caribbean.
puregrenada.com
8–17 MARCH 2026 St Patrick’s Festival, Montserrat Known as the ‘Emerald Isle of the Caribbean’ due to its Irish roots, Montserrat is the only place outside Ireland where St Patrick’s Day is a national event. Here, it’s reimagined with Caribbean spirit and a deep historical resonance. The 10-day St Patrick’s Festival has a packed schedule: expect heritage tours, art exhibitions, costumed parades, calypso competitions and concerts that take over the island. On St Patrick’s Day itself, the energy reaches its peak in the villages of Salem and Little Bay, where soca and reggae blast from sound systems, steel pans echo in the streets and the crowd dances late into the night.
visitmontserrat.com
28 JUNE–7 JULY 2026 CayMAS, Grand Cayman Every summer, Grand Cayman bursts into colour with CayMAS, a two-week carnival packed with music, parades and beachside revelry. The island’s capital, George Town, plays host to the main event — a dazzling road march where masqueraders dance their way down West Bay Road in costumes ranging from feathered showstoppers to glittering bodysuits, designed by local and international artists. The parade culminates in a lively celebration at Seven Mile Public Beach, where beachfront vendors and pop- up shacks offer a variety of local fare — think smoky jerk chicken, fresh fish tacos and rum punch.
caymas.ky
3–7 AUGUST 2026 Anguilla Summer Festival More laid-back than neighbouring St Barts and more secluded than St Maarten, Anguilla offers the perfect setting for a Caribbean Carnival. Now in its 51st year, the island’s biggest cultural celebration delivers 10 days of nonstop music, pageantry and tradition. Highlights include the Grand Parade of Troupes through The Valley, the Miss Anguilla Pageant and a series of spirited boat races launching from Meads Bay. The final contest, the Champion of Champions, is a hotly anticipated showdown where crews compete in traditional, single-masted sailing boats.
guillasummerfestival.com
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER – CARIBBEAN COLLECTION 39
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