The Nevis Culturama Festival will occur from July 24, 2025 to August 5, 2025.
The Nevis Culturama Festival is celebrated on Nevis, one of the two islands that make up St Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean.
The Nevis Culturama Festival is the island’s vibrant answer to carnival, held annually to honor and preserve the island’s rich heritage, traditions, and identity. First established in 1974 by the Nevis Dramatic and Cultural Society (NEDACS), Culturama was created to celebrate the emancipation of enslaved Africans in the British Caribbean, which is officially commemorated on the first Monday in August. The festival blends elements of traditional African and Caribbean culture with modern festivities, allowing Nevisians (both residents and those in the diaspora) to reconnect with their roots through performance, music, food, and fellowship.
Culturama spans nearly two weeks, typically from late July to early August, and features a dynamic mix of events for all ages and interests. Each event reflects a blend of the old and new, combining ancestral customs with modern Caribbean culture.
More than just entertainment, the Nevis Culturama Festival serves as a cultural anchor for the island, fostering national pride and continuity of Nevisian traditions. It provides a space for intergenerational storytelling, artistic expression, and community bonding. Visitors to the island during Culturama experience not just a festival, but an immersive cultural journey through the sights, sounds, and spirit of Nevisian life.
At the Nevis Culturama Festival, expect a vibrant blend of traditional and modern Caribbean culture, celebrating Nevisian heritage through music, dance, food, and colorful festivities. The island comes alive with street parades, live performances, cultural exhibitions, and nonstop parties for all ages.
Here are some highlights of the Festival:
Marvel at the grace and elegance of contestants vying for titles in beauty pageants, where participants showcase their poise, talent, and charisma.
Local vendors offer authentic Nevisian and Caribbean dishes, from goat water to coconut dumplings.
A lively street procession with dancers, drummers, colorful costumes, and traditional masqueraders.
Enjoy lively performances by talented local singers competing in spirited contests, showcasing their lyrical wit and musical prowess.
A predawn street party with revelers in paint, powder, and music dancing through the streets.
Theatrical performances and spoken word pieces reflecting Nevisian stories and identity.
Date: July 24, 2025
Location: TBA
Time: TBA
The Opening of Culturama marks the official launch of Nevis’s most important cultural celebration. It typically features a vibrant ceremony with speeches, live performances, cultural presentations, and fireworks, setting the tone for the festivities to follow.
Date: Aug 4, 2025
Location: Gingerland to Charlestown
Time: TBA
The Emancipation J'ouvert Jump Up is a spirited predawn street celebration that marks the remembrance of emancipation—with lively music, paint, powder, and a four-mile “road jam” from Gingerland into Charlestown on Nevis.
Date: Aug 5, 2025
Location: Charlestown
Time: TBA
This event is the grand climax of Culturama—filled with colorful floats, lively masquerades, steel‑pan rhythms, and enthusiastic crowds celebrating local culture in a joyous street procession through the heart of Charlestown.
This festival is not your typical Carnival: Anguilla turns sea and sand into the heart of the party with its legendary boat races. From August Monday beach sprints to Champion of Champions showdowns, here is how you can play mas in Anguilla like a pro.
If you’re searching for a quick cultural getaway that blends vibrant international parades, Caribbean flavors, and feel-good vibes, let me put you on to the Luton International Carnival.
Sunshine, soca, and sweet bacchanal — it’s time to plan for one of the biggest Caribbean carnivals outside the islands!
If you haven’t been to Miami Carnival, just know: this is not a drill.
