Looking to ring in the New Year at St Kitts-Nevis Carnival for 2024/2025? Here’s a total guide to Saint Kitts and Nevis Carnival aka Sugar Mas 53!
This article is sponsored by the Saint Kitts Tourism Authority & St Kitts-Nevis Carnival Commission but all thoughts, opinions are my own. All photo credit owed to St Kitts-Nevis Carnival Commission. This article contains affiliate links from which I earn a commission from with no extra cost to you.
Things To Remember for Sugar Mas 53
The National Jouvert takes place on December 26th, 2024 – Boxing Day Holiday. The Grand Parade takes place on January 1st, 2025 and January 2nd 2025 (Las Lap). The start of the season begins December 14th, 2024.
Once you fly into Saint Kitts for carnival (Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport-SKB), make sure to get a window seat because the views are just breathtaking. As you descend, you’ll witness pastel colored houses peppered amongst mountainous, hilly green terrain topped every so gently by cloud cover. It is insanely gorgeous.
@bahamianista 📍 Saint Kitts & Nevis Carnival 🇰🇳#saintkittsandnevis #saintkitts #caribbeantravel #caribbeantiktok #stkittstiktok #sugarmas52 #visitsaintkitts #saintkittsandneviscarnival #caribbeancarnival #carnivalcostume #westindies #StKitts ♬ Happy – Grand Masters Band
Recommended dates of travel can vary depending on your holiday schedule but in order to make the pivotal events you should plan to spend your Christmas and New Year holidays in Saint Kitts. (December 24th to January 3rd). I’ll also note that I witnessed a lot of families traveling to Saint Kitts and Nevis for carnival and just to escape cold temps.
Although, J’ouvert and the parade have a few days in between so you have options for travel for those who don’t want to give up their Christmas holidays. It’s recommended to buy your flights as early as they become available because this is also peak season for travel to Saint Kitts and Nevis. Flights from major U.S. cities can start from the mid 500’s.
The capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis is Basseterre; Saint Kitts and the isle of Nevis is considered a two-island nation. Mount Liamuiga is the highest point at 3, 972 feet. The landscape is comprised of lush, mountainous terrain and the islands are famously known for the outlook where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Caribbean Sea. The currency used in Saint Kitts is XCD or the Eastern Caribbean Dollar; 1 USD = 2.70XCD.
History of Sugar Mas
According to Historic St. Kitts, the history of St Kitts Nevis Carnival dates back as far as the 1950’s with the establishment of a more organized parade/celebration in 1957. This looked like a timeline of carnival events including a Carnival Queen pageant, a Christmas tree lighting, a Calypso concert and a carnival dance held on January 1st, 1958. It’s encouraged to read the entirety of the Saint-Kitts Nevis carnival here to understand the evolution and sanctity of the cultural celebration. Sugar Mas is rich in cultural folklore also known as Christmas sport or street performers/performances (moko jumbies, clowns, bulls and more) played by locals during the season and everyone participates -from the very young to the very old.
The St Kitts Nevis Carnival is marked by a mix of music, pageantry, historic folklore, lively events and parties and so much more.
Where To Stay
Locals will recommend staying on Frigate Bay where a number of hotels and resorts are situated near the beaches, restaurants and more. Here are a few recommendations:
- Royal St. Kitts Hotel
- Saint Kitts Marriott Resort & The Royal Beach Casino
- Marriot St. Kitts Beach Club
- Sugar Bay Club Suites & Hotel
- Koi Resort
You can also opt for villas or airbnbs along Frigate Bay strip area.
I had the pleasure of being hosted at the Koi Resort (under $200 USD a night) which is give or take a 10-15 minute drive to the Frigate Bay Area. On the resort site you can expect zen-like conditions that feel like an oasis on island. The hotel is equipped with a gym, spa, pool, restaurants/bar and more.
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Getting Around
Getting around Saint Kitts & Nevis is pretty easy, you can rent a car or take taxis which are typically readily available. Kittitians and Nevisians drive on the left side of the road. Local/public transportation comes in the form of taking mini-buses (identified by their green H- license plates). If you’re trying to go to Nevis, there are a number of water taxi companies such as Blue Waves Water Taxi & Charters according to MyStKittsTouristInformation.com.
Jump In A Carnival Troupe
If you want to participate as a masquerader for J’ouvert/Carnival Parade; here are a few names to familiarize yourself with. Bands launch typically during October or later. As of Sugar Mas 52, costumes started at $400 USD or more depending on options/band/preference. Jouvert Troupes average packages around $100 USD.
Carnival Troupes
Jouvert Troupes
Band Troupes
- Grand Masters Band
- Nu Vybes International Band (aka Sugar Band)
- Small Axe Band
- Kollision Band
While you can sign up for all of the above – it’s definitely an EXPERIENCE being able to follow an actual band troupe where they perform 100% of their own music via a live band and are actively competing for Road March which is the song of the carnival season. It is extremely competitive. The difference between this type of troupe is primarily the live band music where you have the more commercialized troupes that hire DJ’s along with live band performances.
On The Road For J’ouvert
It starts in the wee morning hours on Boxing Day Morning. I partnered and jumped with Excess Jouvert Troupe for their inaugural year and they were extremely organized for their first time on the road. Here’s a little recap of my experience:
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ChattaBox Company is another jouvert troupe that I jumped with that offers a cohesive experience (refer to list of troupes above). Another popular local jouvert troupe is SK Red Devils.
Music was pumping from various Kittitian and regional DJ’s that played soca favorites; but I MUST STRESS that the emphasis was Kittitian soca aka Wilders, a fast paced, live-band music playing local favorites or snippets of popular dancehall, pop songs or more. The objective is to experience J’ouvert and the music openly because it’s so unique to Saint Kitts plus the locals don’t waste time and vibes seem to continue to escalate from 3am well into the afternoon. FYI: The Jouvert troupes are also competing for Jouvert Troupe of The Year so bring your best energy.
Saint Kitts & Nevis Carnival Events
The national and fringe event calendars are updated frequently via the SKNCarnival website and social media. While you have so many to choose from; it’s recommended to mix both national and fringe events for a “balanced” cultural experience. If you’re looking for recommended parties/events, check out Study It Ent, Bacchanal Kingdom, TidalSKN, Inception, Top Off Brunch, Sunset Wild Safari, Carambola Beach Club , CaneJuice Events and more.
Cultural events are a staple for the season such as:
- Kiddies Parade
- Panorama
- Miss St Kitts and Nevis Queen Pageant
And these are just a few examples of how to fill your time during carnival season.
On The Road Again (based on my personal Sugar Mas 52 experience w/ Ultra Carnival)
One thing about Ultra Carnival, they are very good at communication. Throughout the process of registration to collecting the costume to the road experience – they had timely communication for their masqueraders. There were a few hiccups with collecting backpacks but it was remedied up until the day of and I have to give them praise for that because nowadays you are lucky if you get that kind of customer service from a carnival band.
Day 1 on the road started with locating the band and lining up for the first judging point. This is where you wear FULL costume. The masqueraders in Ultra Carnival are so nice, so vibesy and big up to the one who helped me put on my backpack- but overall I just felt very comfortable. They did play a mix of international soca and Wilders soca on the road. We got to the stage shortly and then continued into the night. In fact, the National Saint Kitts-Nevis Carnival is a running competition where the bands compete for Troupe of the Year. There are a few judging points along the route which starts mid morning and ends after sunset. Drinks/food are available from trucks via your designated band during the Grand Parade; Ultra also has food prior and post the parade. However, there are also several food vendors on the side of the street.
Day 2 on the road is deemed “Las Lap” and revelers have the option of re-wearing their costumes, wearing bits and pieces of their costumes for day 2 or wearing “Las Lap” wear which can resemble swimwear or Monday wear styled attire. The goal is to just free up on the last day of the Grand Parade. Here’s a recap of my day 2 experience with Ultra Carnival:
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I also jumped with Luxe Carnival prior to the pandemic and they offer a cohesive road experience as well.
Saint Kitts & Nevis Music
Everyone should know Byron Messia (Talibans) hails from Saint Kitts & Nevis but they can also boast of having their own unique soca music in the form of “live-bands, steel pan melodies, African rhythms” called Wilders. My initial observation of Wilders was that once you really listen to it- it is extremely infectious. If you listen to one of the YouTube mixes, it gives very much “follow the riddim-improv-freestyle-kind of vibes” which is fascinating because the music can go on for hours. One of my favorite songs has to be Happy by Grand Masters Band featuring Dejour, Rucas H. E. Here’s a few names to explore on YouTube:
- Grand Masters Band
- Nu Vybes Band
- Kollision Band
- Rucas H.E.
- Small Axe Band
- Akaiiusweet
- Dejour
- Nicha B
Food To Try in Saint Kitts & Nevis
The national dish is stewed sailfish with spicy plantains and coconut dumplings but it is running competition with the local goat water (soup). You can also visit Frigate Bay Strip and try a few restaurants like Boozies, Coconut Grove and more. Travel to Nevis and try a Killer Bee. For more food recommendations check out Kittitian/Nevisian creative Everything Sim Simma.
St Kitts & Nevis Things To Do & Attractions
There’s a variety of attractions and things to do when in Saint Kitts and Nevis that are divided into categories such as nature, ecotourism, leisure tours, water sports and more. You can check the official Visit St. Kitts website for more details, but here’s a few things I’ve had the pleasure to do while visiting beautiful Saint Kitts & Nevis.
- Timothy Hill Overlook
- Oneill’s Tour
- History at Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park
- Day Pass or Stay at Belle Mont Farm
- Old Rum Road Tasting & Tour
- Take a ferry over to Nevis
- Caribelle Batik/Romney Manor
- Hike Mt. Liamuiga
Or just chill on the beach and relax, catch a stunning sunrise or sunset…whichever floats your boat. One of the pros (many pros) is that there’s enough time to explore, celebrate the culture and relax during Sugar Mas 53.
