Massive START to Vincymas 2025

IT WAS AN active weekend for carnival lovers as the Carnival Development Corporation (CDC) hosted two events to officially mark the start of Vincymas 2025 under the theme ‘START’.

The events, which featured a pre-launch parade in Kingstown on Friday, May 9, and a launch-party at the tarmac of the decommissioned E.T Joshua Airport, Arnos Vale, showcased a blend of traditional carnival elements and modern feting.

Scores took to the streets of Kingstown for the street parade held under the theme ‘A Call to Memory’. The parade started at the Peace Memorial Hall with each section showcasing a different cultural aspect from history.

Artistic Director, Jaykel Mars, explained to SEARCHLIGHT his aim was to reintroduce a deeper sense of cultural rootedness into the street parade. In this way, he noted, the public could be reminded of the origins of Vincy Carnival and the way it was used as a form of resistance and joy.

“In previous years, some of that tradition and story had been lost in the spectacle. My aim was to center memory, using traditional characters, folklore, visual storytelling, and music as a bridge between the past and present. The intention was to create an immersive, living experience of Vincymas — not just a show, but a spiritual and cultural reawakening.”

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