If you’ve never heard of Antigua Carnival, the greatest summer festival in the Caribbean, add it to your list for 2025. The Official Antigua Carnival 2025 dates are:
July 25th – August 5th, 2025
Carnival parade dates fall on August 4th, 2025 & Tuesday mas on August 5th, 2025.
Things To Know About Antigua Carnival
- It’s held in St. John’s, Antigua; recommended airport V. C. Bird International Airport (ANU)
- Antigua is pronounced “Antiga”
- Antigua Carnival was once celebrated during Christmas but had its official summer start in 1957 (Emancipation Day). Read more HERE.
- Antigua has a sister isle called Barbuda (known for pink sand beaches)
- There are 3 days of mas – T-shirt mas, Dutty Mas, Monday mas and Tuesday mas
- T-shirt Mas takes place on the last Saturday in July (1-2 weeks before Carnival Monday)
- Minimum recommended travel dates – Friday to Wednesday (August 1st to August 6th)
- Minimum cost $2500-$3000 (depending on stay, costume preferences, # of ppl in party)
- Currency used is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD)
- National dishes are fungee, ducana, saltfish, chop up, pepper pot, black pineapple among others
Where To Stay In Antigua For Carnival
- Royalton CHIC Antigua
- Royalton Antigua (all inclusive)
- Sandals Grande Antigua
- Cocobay Resort (all inclusive)
- Siboney Beach Club
- Hodges Bay
- Hawksbill Resort Antigua (all inclusive)
@bahamianista (Hosted) Where To Stay In Antigua & Barbuda | 📍Hawksbill Beach Resort @antiguaandbarbuda #caribbeanvacation #loveantiguabarbuda #antiguaandbarbuda #antigua #caribbeantiktok #antiguacarnival2024 #ahloveithere ♬ Sweet Antigua – Drastic
If sourcing an Airbnb or home rental, recommended areas to stay are Saint John’s Parish, Dickenson Bay, Jolly Harbour among others.
For more hotel recommendations or where to stay, see As Told By Ali’s Antigua Carnival 2024 Planning Guide.
Antigua Carnival Costumes
While there are several troupes to choose from, I’ve jumped up with Insane Carnival 3x and their presentations never miss along with the quality and attention to detail of their costumes and service on the road. They also offer packages for Dutty Mas/Jouvert & T Shirt Mas. They celebrated their TENTH Year as a Mas Troupe in 2024!
They’ve also won Band of the Year in 2015, 2018, 2019, 2023 and 2024.
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Also take a look at what’s included in a typical Insane Carnival costume package below:
@bahamianista Ready for the road or nah? | Antigua Carnival 2024 Carnival Costume Unboxing 🇦🇬 w/ @Insane carnival @antiguaandbarbuda (Press trip) #AntiguaCarnival2024 #CarnivalisCalling #BeInIt #LoveAntiguaBarbuda #AntiguaandBarbuda #Ahloveithere ♬ Out Deh – Claudette Peters
Other troupes that offer Antigua Carnival packages for T Shirt Mas, Dutty Mas/Jouvert and Carnival Monday & Tuesday can be found here:
- Myst Carnival
- Sechuns The Band
- Invaders Carnival
- Barefoot Promotions
- Project Sync / Caution
- ChattaBox Company
Antigua Carnival Soca Music
From tunes from Burning Flames, Claudette Peters, Tian Winter, Ricardo Drue & more. The best way to get familiar with the music is listening to DJ’s like DJ Quest, The Spaniard, DJ Riddim Master, DJ Jime, DJ Elementz, Sir Lance, and I could go on. The music is comprised of calypso, buoyon, zouk, soca riddims and is based on story-telling like “dance, scratch and wink up”, “kick up dus(t) and more…
One significant note is the re-emergence of “jam bands” on the Antiguan music scene. Burning Flames is a cultural phenomenon comprising of a group of musicians playing live calypso sounds that have transcended over the years with multiple hits after hits but one should also take note of bands such as Kaution Band and NewGen Band who have made an incredible mark on the 2024 season.
Antigua Carnival Events
The timeline of events is important when figuring out your Antigua Carnival line up. The Antigua Carnival schedule is lengthy (starting as early as Spring) with cultural events like T Shirt Mas, Party Monarch, Calypso Monarch, Melting Pot, DruesDay and parties like Blue Jeans, Rise, Drink Til Ya Weak and more. I had the pleasure of attending Ripple X Tease, de 268 Breakfast Party, Collin Devon Events – Prickly in Pink. Stay tuned to Antigua Festivals, Two6Eight, Top Shelf Events, Ticketing Events for a schedule all things Antigua Carnival 2025.
Dutty People Only Trust Dutty People
Then follows Dutty Mas early MONDAY morning . Calypso mixed with bouyon and zouk riddims, a live band, bush branches, paint, mud, oil, powder & water. Insane Carnival prides themselves on keeping their brand “authentically Antiguan” and that is what you can expect from their version of DUTTY MAS. It occurs in the wee early morning hours of Emancipation Day and ends shortly after sunrise. This year, Insane Carnival turned the streets PINK in commemoration of the fight against breast cancer.
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Carnival Monday in Antigua
After Dutty Mas, you get ready for Carnival Monday in Antigua. It is a more relaxed day with masqueraders donning their carnival Monday wear choices which is complimentary with your Insane Carnival costume. Meeting up with the band on time is pivotal because Insane Carnival provides lunch before heading on the road and rightfully so because the carnival route is NO JOKE and goes well into the night.
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Carnival Tuesday
Carnival Tuesday is when you will wear your full costume. However, it is a full on competition so when the troupe leader says to get in your section – YOU get in your section. It is an active competition culminating into crossing the stage towards the end of the night. The streets are lined off with locals spectating and rooting their favorite troupe on – so if its your first time in Antigua for carnival – everybody is a participant in mas (from the very young to the old). Insane Carnival offers non stop vibes and an all inclusive carnival experience from beginning to end.
@bahamianista Miss the next jam? Neva.🙅🏾♀️ (Hosted) Sweet Insane – Sweet Sweet Insane 🎶 @Insane carnival 🇦🇬 @antiguaandbarbuda The biggest hottest band for Antigua Carnival 2024 – don’t get caught slipping for next year 🥹😭 #InsaneTurnsTen #TuesdayMas Parade Drone footage: @wearesuprm / @jbreyes.mov 🔥 Band: @insanecarnival Y’all going next year? 👀 #AntiguaCarnival2024 #CarnivalisCalling #BeInIt #LoveAntiguaBarbuda #AntiguaandBarbuda #Ahloveithere ♬ original sound – Cris – Culture, Travel, Living
Things To Do In Antigua
Antigua and Barbuda is known for it’s 365 beaches (literally one beach for every day of the year). There’s a plethora of things to do like local Antiguan food tours, stingray tour, a scenic historical island tour or a day trip to the sister isle (think picture perfect pink sand) – Barbuda.
Beach Clubs
Antiguan Native, Jen Sainty is a local creator exploring for all things beaches, beach clubs and things to do on Antigua and Barbuda. And to check out the scenic unbeaten paths and untouched beauty of the islands, you have to follow Antiguan local, JervezLee.
Antigua Carnival is the perfect combination of authentic culture, vibes and relaxation.
And much more.. hope to see you at the GREATEST summer festival in 2025.
What do you think?