Good news for partygoers who are thinking about going to the Caribbean this summer. Saint Lucia’s government has confirmed that its carnival festivities are returning this July after a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic. The island’s biggest annual celebration was officially launched in late April and it is expected to have a line-up of events that will highlight the spirit of the Caribean carnival to the fullest. Saint Lucia Carnival is scheduled from 7th to 19th July with national and private events.

Saint Lucia Carnival 2022 will be celebrated with important events such as Carnival Queen Show, Soca and Calypso Monarch, Panorama, and of course, the pillar events such as Color Me Red, Famalay, U4ria, and a few boat rides in between.

Tourism Minister Ernest Hilaire said that national events such as calypso will be the key focus for the carnival season carnival. “I am excited with how plans are progressing for Lucian Carnival 2022. It is very exciting when we hear that Carnival events are sold out within days after being launched, and some, even four to five months in advance. We also need to ensure that we give the National Events; Panorama, Calypso and Soca Monarchs, King and Queen of the Band and the Queen Show the necessary support so that they too, can be among the big events during the Carnival season.”

“The Committees that we have put together, both the Carnival Planning and Management Committee and the Carnival Music Management Committee, bring a pool of experience to the table, as we plan to bring back our cultural showcase after its two-year hiatus. We know the trajectory that Carnival was on in 2020 before our precautionary closure, but the energy and demand for Carnival this year is like that of 2019,” he added.

The minister emphasized that the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic will determine how the party will be conducted. “Meetings will continue to be held with officials from the Ministry of Health and the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) to finalize health and safety protocols for the hosting of Saint Lucia Carnival 2022, as we draw closer to the commencement of this highly anticipated cultural showcase.”

In April, Hilaire said that originally St. Lucia’s government was planning to open the party only for vaccinated individuals in a very controlled and rigid environment. However, the requirement to be completely vaccinated to participate in Lucian Carnival 2022 remains uncertain and we will be kept updated as the COVID-19 conditions change. But, for the time being, the artists have been booked, the bands are ready for mas, and there will be plenty of surprises in store for carnival enthusiasts. “The conditions are still changing and therefore the final product is still undetermined,’ the minister told the local media outlets.

The announcement of St. Lucia’s carnival comes at a moment when the country experiences a rebound in its tourism industry. In March, this Caribbean island reported its highest month of tourism arrivals since it first reopened back in June 2020, according to data from the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority. The institute attests that the influx of tourists on the island in March was 21 per cent higher than they forecasted.

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