Barbados Festival Calendar

The tropical island of Barbados is home to the liveliest of cultures, a happy-go-lucky way of life and the most gorgeous scenery. Music and laughter are some of the main reasons why people flock to visit there as well as the beautiful sandy beaches, the crystal clear waters and of course, the rum!

With their famous parties and fun filled entertainment, Barbados fills the calendar with an array of exciting and engaging events.

Barbados Festival Calendar

January

Mount Gay Round Barbados Race Series

A fantastic boat race around the island where participants compete for the sheer pride of winning and the ability to claim bragging rights whilst wearing the red cap! Dating back to the 19th century, the race celebrates Mount Gay Rum, the oldest brand of rum in existence.

Barbados Jazz Festival

Attracting many international artists, the Barbados Jazz Festival is held mid-January and provides audiences with historical outdoor settings to enjoy the music by the beach. The final is held in the beautiful Farley Hill National Park.

Barbados Music Awards

The end of January sees the Barbados Music Awards glam up the island with red carpet glitz. The ceremony recognises talented Barbadian musicians with big name labels such as Atlantic, DEFJAM and Sony/BMG all having at least one musician from the island in their name. Massive star, Rihanna, made her debut at this event back in 2006.

February

Holetown Festival 

Possibly the island's most well-known event, the Holetown Festival is a week long celebration that pays tribute to the first English settlers and produces a mix of fairs, theatre and musical performances. 

A bus journey around the town is the best way to take in everything going on. You're able to visit exhibitions at the Holetown Museum, the vintage car parade, the street fairs or listen to public lectures. Open air concerts are also put on by the Royal Barbados Police Force and the Barbados Defence Force bands. 

March

Sandy Lane Gold Cup

This amazing horse race is known for attracting large international crowds and is considered a major event with a stunning parade. 

Holder's Season

Assembling music, theatre and comedy, the Holder's Season closely follows the Sandy Lane Gold Cup. Considered to be the time when Broadway comes to Barbados, the event was hosted by legendary opera singer, Pavarotti back in 1997. 

CHUM FM 104.5 are welcomed to the island all the way from Toronto, Canada for a live broadcast at Harbour Lights Nightclub on the south coast; attracting big names such as Michael Buble, Nelly Furtado and  Bryan Adams to perform. 

Agrofest

A 2 day festival held in Queens Park that celebrates the integral agriculture on the island. The event is especially popular with children as there is always lots of livestock for kids to pet and feed. 

April

Mount Gay/Sagicor Annual Game Fishing Tournament

Held over the 1st weekend of April, this tournament brings together anglers and fishing enthusiasts from all over the world. 

Heroes Day

The 28th of April is a public holiday in Barbados honouring the island's National Heroes.

May

May is the month of sporting events with the 1st of May being Labour Day

Barbados Rally Carnival

A week long celebration featuring local and international high performance vehicles racing at different stages. Motor rallying has become an incredibly popular sport in Barbados and this event shows exactly why. Audiences can watch the exhilarating races from the Vaucluse Raceway, a stunning natural amphitheater with views of the countryside, the tracks and the sea. 

Celtic Festival

A tribute to the large community of Celtic immigrants and the links between Barbados and the Celtic countries Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Award winning chefs cook up a storm and brilliant mixes of folk music are all present at this fantastic event. 

Barbados Gospelfest

The premier regional festival dedicated to gospel music, culture and lifestyle. It promises world class gospel singers from local, regional and international choirs to celebrate the standard of excellence it's known for. 

June

The Sherbourne Conference Centre holds an exhibition run by interior design company, Habitat. Here you can see projects on environment services, home orientated products and constructions. 

Bajan Unifest Sporting Festival

A week long celebration of hockey, football, swimming, netball, tennis and cricket matches all held at the university campus. 

July

July is the home of the Crop Over Festival, starting with the Opening Gala. The Pic-O-De-Crop semi-finals are held mid-month and the finals are a week after. You can find out more details about this amazing festival in our dedicated blog post!

August

Kadooment Day 

The 1st Monday of August and is basically a massive street party! Full of glitzy costumes, live music, delicious food and plenty of rum, it's not to be missed. 

Hockey Federation Banks Hockey Fest

A week of hockey! Teams from Europe, the UK and North America all travel to Barbados to compete in games.

September

September is a quieter month after the celebrations of the summer but you can still find equally impressive and fun things to do.

Sizzlin' Sand Beach Volleyball

All the national volleyball compete on the gorgeous local sandy beaches.

October

National Surfing Championships

A big surfing event where competitors hit the waves for a chance to win a place in the November International Championships.

Barbados Music Festival

Yet more joyous music celebrated on the island with genres covered from rock, blues, folk and of course, reggae acts flown in from the UK.

November 

Sagicor Life Lighting Ceremony & Bajan Folk Crew

All the decorative lights are lit in Bridgetown to signify the beginning of the holiday season. An incredibly pretty sight to see.

Independence Pro Surfing Championships & Banks Pro Long Board Classic

Hosted at the famous Soup Bowl surfing spot on the 4th and 5th of November,  this major international surfing competition attracts world famous surfers to the island. 

December

Yet more sporty and energetic events lead to the festive period with the Run Barbados Marathon, 1/2 marathon, 10K and 4K walks all being held and featuring over 30 countries entering.

Polo Season

The Polo Season starts with events being held nearly every Sunday between December and May, promoting this already popular sport. 

Old Year's Night

A truly magnificent party to bring in the new year. Men are dressed in smart suits while the ladies glam up in beautiful evening gowns. Champagne is flowing, fireworks are going and everyone is guaranteed to end their year in spectacular style!

Would you like to visit this magical island for yourself? Our Barbados luxury villa and apartment experts are on hand to help inspire you with an extensive portfolio of gorgeous properties.

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Crop Over Festival 2017

As a forever sunny and happy place to be, Barbados spreads the joy even more during their Crop Over Festival. Taking place from May until August, this incredible celebration has something for everyone and really emphasises the Barbadian way of life; full of colour, sun and smiles!

Crop Over Festival 2017

The Crop Over Festival is the most colourful and popular in the Caribbean and attracts thousands of people from all over the globe, including Barbadians who no longer live on the island. 

With origins dating back to the 1780's, the festival has deep set roots and is an important celebration to the people who live here. 

Barbados was the largest producer of sugar in the world, way back in the 18th century. The festival marked the end of a successful sugar cane harvest and became a huge tradition.

In the 1940's, the sugar industry declined sharply along with the success rate of the harvests produced. The Crop Over Festival eventually stopped altogether.

In 1974, the festival was revived and incorporated other Bajan cultural elements, really bringing the island together and showing the world what it was all about. 

Opening Ceremony & Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes

Being the very beginning of the celebrations, this is where the King & Queen of the Festival are crowned. This is judged by which male and which female has been the most productive cane cutters of the season.

Bridgetown Market

Running right the way through the festival, this incredible market features local food and beverages as well as arts and crafts to show off the unique Barbadian artistic flair. Calypso and Soca music is a major part of the celebrations and can be heard the whole time. 

Cohobblopot

A huge carnival like show where members of Kadooment bands display their amazing costumes and perform to packed audiences down the coast. 

Kiddies Kadooment

Children will never feel left out of the festivities and have their own mini version where they can show off their costumes and bands and parade for judges.

Calypso

Calypso is a major feature of Barbadian life and the Crop Over Festival.

Organised into tents, the groups are sponsored by Barbados businesses and compete for awards, prizes and coveted titles including 'Party Monarch', 'Sweet Soca Monarch' and 'Pic-O-De-Crop Monarch'.
The Pic-O-De-Crop is held at the Kensington Oval and is followed by the Fore Day Morning Jump Up.

Grand Kadooment

The finale of the festival features an incredible carnival parade featuring large bands in elaborate and often themed costumes. Designers can compete for the 'Designer of the Year' award and audiences are thrilled by the wild music, delicious food and drink and of course, the beach is always close by!

Have we tempted you to visit this Caribbean paradise yet?
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Our Top Reasons Why Barbados is the Best Caribbean Island!

With it's glorious white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and stunning sunsets, Barbados is one of the world's most desirable destinations. A rich and fascinating history combined with some incredibly varied culture and the friendliest locals, we would recommend a trip to the Bajan island to everyone!

Here are our Top Reasons Why Barbados is the Best Caribbean Island

The Food

Barbados includes a wide variety of unique and diverse flavours with influences taken from all over the world including Africa, India and England. The island has so many restaurants to choose from and you're sure to find culinary delights on every corner from five star fine dining to locally run businesses, excelling in authentic cuisine.

Waterfront Restaurants; a dream view over dinner.

Flying Fish; a famous Bajan delicacy!

Rum!

Rum is a massive part of the culture in Barbados. Perfected during the 17th century, there are more than 1,500 roadside bars along the island and they're incredibly proud of their product. Rum tours and local distilleries are an interesting look into the historical side of the Bajan tipple. Mount Gay Rum is the oldest rum brand in the world, established in 1703. 

Just one of the many rum bars you're sure to encounter!

Mount Gay; 'The rum that invented rum.'

The Culture

Barbados has a fascinating historical, ecological and archaeological background. Some of the buildings are built with pink and white coral and the island is steeped with colonial history, adding some extra depth to your visit. St Nicholas Abbey is a 350 year old property that served as a sugar plantation and is a well-preserved historical residence. 

St Nicholas Abbey; the grounds & exterior

The People

When you speak to anyone who's visited Barbados, there will always be a mention about the people who live there. The locals are warm and welcoming to tourists, something that isn't seen as much in other destinations. The majority are friendly, laid back and happy-go-lucky which just adds to the atmosphere of this slice of paradise.

When in Barbados, do as the locals do!

The Nightlife

Whilst the locals on the island are laid back, they still know how to party. Barbados' nightlife is as exciting as you'd imagine. Plenty of bars and clubs fill the skies with music and laughter. St Lawrence's Gap (also known as the Gap) has everything from Irish pubs to Italian bistros and lots of live music. Holetown is on the west side of the island whilst 2nd Street in St James provides even more to choose from!

Crop Over Festival

The most popular and colourful festival dates back to the 1780's and marks the success of a sugar cane harvest. Spreading through May to August, this beautiful celebration is full of music, dancing, arts and crafts and street fares. It's also the perfect place to spot celebrities with Rihanna, Lewis Hamilton and more being spotted enjoying the festivities. 

Crop Over Festival; a sea of laughter, music and dance!

The Perfect Opportunity for Celebrity Spotting!

The Sea Turtles

With a very healthy population of leatherback and hawksbill sea turtles, Barbados is home to these beautiful creatures and if you're lucky enough, you can see these critters hatch from their eggs and make their way down to the beach and into the sea!

Watch a truly memorable experience when the babies hatch

Snorkeling with sea turtles sounds perfect to us!

The Beaches

Barbados has approximately 60 beaches all boasting pristine, white sand and crystal clear, naturally clean waters. If you're after more sun bathing, gentle swimming and wind-surfing then the Platinum Coast is the best place. Surfing is perfect in East Coast where the Soup Bowl is located. 

So many things to do!

Have we planted the seed for a perfect Bajan trip?
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Crop Over Festival Guide

As the weather heats up, its time for Crop over Festival, one of the biggest and brightest celebrations in Barbados! This colourful festival spans over the month of July, ending in early August with the incredible 'Grand Kadooment' parade which is filled with elaborately dressed dancers, bright carnival costumes and lively calypso bands. This is definitely one of the most exciting times of year to visit the island with thousands of visitors from around the World coming to join in the famous Bajan celebrations! 

Brief history of Crop Over Festival

Crop Over Festival dates back to the 1780's,when Barbados was the World's largest producer of sugar. At the end over every sugar crop season, the hard working harvesters would have a big celebration to mark another successful sugar cane harvest. 

As the sugar industry declined on the island, so did the celebrations and in the 1940's the festival was completely stopped for nearly 30 years. In 1974, Crop Over Festival was brought back to life by the Barbados Tourism Authority to become a celebration of Bajan culture and its rich history. 

What on during the festival?

The Crop Over Festival runs for 24 days every summer, starting on the second Saturday in July with a colourful parade through Bridgetown. Giant colourful floats, carnival bands and decorated carts ride through the town to the National Stadium where the opening gala is held. Here a sugarcane king and queen are crowned, who used to be chose as the most productive sugar crop workers of the season.

Throughout the 3 weeks, there are various parties, concerts, food festivals and other fun events to be enjoyed. Music is always a central point of the festival with the sound of calypso, soca and steel drums filling the air. 

The last week of the festival is when the more popular events take place. Bridgetown Market Street Fair is a food and music festival with plenty of food stalls, an arts fair (great for souvenirs!), Barbadian cooking contests and calypso music. 


The Big Finale

The finale weekend is the biggest party weekend of the year in Barbados! It starts with the wild Pic-o-de-crop calypso competition finals with extraordinary costumes, body paint and livebands which finishes with a spontaneous street party!  The next morning the Foreday Morning Jam takes place with 3.5km of dancing through the streets. On Sunday you can enjoy the Cohobblopot calypso show from the winners of the Party monarch. 

The Grand Kadooment, which is Bajan for “Big Deal” or “Big Fuss,”where various groups and individuals compete with themed costumes and song for titles including the Calypso Monarch, Road March Monarch, and Sweet Soca Monarch. Here is where you will see the famous pictures of people in headdresses, feather crowns and carnival outfits for the epic parade of live music, fireworks and partying through the night. There's no standing and watching here, so be prepared to dance til dawn!