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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Like Rum? Love Barbados!

‘There’s a time and a place’ is the slogan of the oldest rum in the World – Mount Gay Rum from Barbados. The birthplace of the Caribbean’s favourite liquor is definitely the ‘place’ to try it for the first time or enjoy it for the 100th time. Whether you’re visiting for a few days or a lucky few weeks; there is plenty of time to get in the spirit!

How did it start?

Rum is a huge part of the Bajan history and culture with many cultural heritage sites to discover the story of sugar and rum. Due to the islands mainly flat landscape and good soil, Barbados has successfully grown sugar from mid-17th century. Rum was actually first created, in very early form, by plantation slaves as they discovered that molasses (a byproduct of the sugar refining process) could be fermented into a crude liquor called ‘rumbillon’ In 1703, an English businessman set up the world’s first properly commercial rum distillery in Barbados which refined the liquor into delicious rum…That man was Sir John Gay, with the now world renowned Mount Gay Rum.

Festivals

Not surprisingly, rum is a big part of any celebration or festival in the Caribbean. ‘The annual Food, Wine and Rum Festival’ a 4 day foodie and booze fuelled event celebrating the best culinary and alcoholic delights – from pairing food and wines to cooking demonstrations, pop up food stalls and of course beach parties!

The most popular festival, completely dedicated to sugar and rum is Crop Over Festival. These attracts thousands of visitors all over the globe for 3 weeks of events and parties, originally created to celebrate the end of a good sugar crop season. If you can only visit for a short period during this festival then make sure its for the big finale, The Grand Kadooment. This when you will see the famous colourful headdresses, feather crowns and huge crowds dancing in the streets to the early hours! 

Other smaller festivals to mark in the diary are the Holetown Festival, which commemorates the first settlement in Barbados in February and Oistin’s Fish Festival which celebrates the islands brilliant fishing industry.

Distilleries and tours

The most popular choice of distilleries to visit is the Mount Gay Rum Visitors Centre which is located in Bridgetown’s Port. Here you will have a tour guide explaining the distillery’s history, watch a short film and rum tasting throughout. We recommend spending a little extra for the Cocktail tour that finishes with a cocktail making masterclass with the mixology masters of rum! Top tip – Buy your rum to take home here, it’s cheaper than at the airport!

In the hills of St Peter you will find St Nicholas Abbey you will find the oldest plantation house in Barbados. This stunning building has a rich history of rum production and the current owners still produce their own rum. You get to explore the Jacobean style house (built in 1660) filled with antiques and a small cinema showing you how island life was in the 1930s….and more rum tasting of course!

Finally, in eight beautiful acres of former plantation land you will find the Foresquare Rum Distillery which occupies the former St Philip sugar factory dating back to 1636. This is a fantastic entertainment venue with the landscaped parks and perfectly restored plantation buildings. There are several attractions on the grounds including he sugar machine museum, folk museum and bottling plant. Self guided tours are free, allowing you to wander at your leisure on the signposted walking tour.

Rum Shacks

You will find Bajan rum served all over the island, usually accompanied by calypso music and a big smile…at any time of day! There are more than 1500 rum shacks across the island, which equates to more than one in every village! These rum shops are simply made and brightly painted with a drink brand and are as much as a part of the Bajan culture as pubs are to the Brits! 

Pick up a shot or small bottle of rum as you enjoy some home cooked island food and get to know the lovely, friendly locals and even get challenged to a game of dominos! Why not see the best rum shacks on offer and experience a fun afternoon on a Rum Shop Tour.

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!

Guide to the Barbados Food, Wine & Rum Festival 2015

Barbados is fast becoming not only a traveller’s paradise but also a foodie hotspot! Being known as the culinary capital of the Caribbean there are so many local dishes and experimental delights to try on your visit, you could eat somewhere deliciously different for every meal!

As November approaches, excitement in Barbados builds. Not only is it the month in which the island celebrates independence, it's also when they welcome top international chefs to our shores for the annual Barbados Food & Wine and Rum Festival! Last weekend visitors to the festival were treated to several days of the very best international cuisine and cooking demonstrations.

 

The festival is designed to tantalize the taste buds, while offering a variety of other colourful and flavourful experiences to stimulate the other senses as well. Experience a sophisticated, high-quality and upscale celebration of gastronomic art, featuring acclaimed international & local chefs, wine experts and mixologists.

Of course with Barbados being the birthplace of rum, no epicurean festival would be complete without this local spirit. See what goes into making the perfect Barbados Rum Punch and explore where we've been creating some of the world's finest rums for over 350 years!

Here are some pictures to tantalize your tastebuds and give you a flavour of the festival (sorry for the pun)!