Barbados Crop Over Festival... More Than A Carnival

The hallmarks of this cultural festival are sweet calypso music, dazzling costumes, vibrant street parties, exquisite local cuisine and of course great fun for all.

Crop Over dates back to the 18th century when the then colonial Barbados was a major producer of cane sugar. But as sugar cane production in Barbados decline over the years so too did the festival resulting in its termination in the mid 1900’s.

However in 1974 the government and Barbados Tourism Authority revived the festival as a cultural extravaganza and as a major tourism-marketing ploy.

Since then the Crop Over festival has been transform significantly and today people from all over the world visit the island to take part in Grand Kadooment.

...But there is more to Crop Over than the massive street party and the booze that flow generously during the Grand Kadooment celebrations.

You only have to take part in the many activities planned during the five weeks to, realize that this spectacular festival has been appropriately describe as more than a carnival. It is a cultural extravaganza, which features...

Ceremonial Delivery

The Ceremonial Delivery of The Last Canes is an official ceremony held to pronounce the sugar harvest closed. 

One of the main events of this ceremony is the crowning of the king and queen of the sugar harvest.

Productivity is the focal point of this competition, which was conceptualized to honour the most productive male and female cane cutters during the sugar harvest.

Calypso is the heartbeat of the festival... entertainers know as calypsonians are organized into Calypso Tents where they perform the latest songs of the season ranging from social commentaries to more up tempo party songs. 

Pic O De Crop

Pic-O-De-Crop competition is another one of the much-anticipated events of the Crop Over festival. 

Creativity, lyrics and musical arrangement are the focal point of this musical competition, where calypsonians highlight the happenings of the day in song. 

The winner of the Pic-O-De-Crop competition is crowned calypso king or queen.

Bridgetown Market is another cultural extravaganza featuring a number of stalls catering to arts, crafts and delicious local cuisine.

Usually held on the second last Saturday and Sunday of the festival you can also get a glimpse of the islands traditional folk characters like stilt men, Shaggy Bears, Mother Sally and of course the Bajan Tuk Band.

Kiddies Kadooment ensures that the young ones are not left out of the celebration. The kids have their own Junior calypso competition and their own junior costume bands featuring adorable costumes and themes.

Party Monach is the up tempo aspect of the festival it features a competition held at the calypso bowl on the scenic Atlantic coast of the island.

Hundreds of party loving fans gathers in the rolling hillside on Barbados scenic east coast for a day of sweet calypso music and delectable bajan food in the most ideal picnic conditions possible.

Fore-Day Morning Jump-Up is the ideal answer to those revelers who are unable to stand the heat and humility of Grand Kadooment. One of the recent inclusions to the festive celebrations of Crop Over.

This carnival style jump up usually takes place in the early hours of the morning after the crowning of the Pic-O-De-Crop king.

Grand Kadooment

Grand Kadooment Day usually takes place on the first Monday in August. On this day the Crop Over festival reaches its grand finale. 

Kadooment day as it is called is celebrated as a national holiday.
With one massive carnival parade. 

As a matter of fact it is the island’s biggest party of the year where groups of revelers in dazzling costumes or body paint jump long the streets to the most popular calypso rhythms.

Road March Tune is the most popular tune played on Grand Kadooment. This calypso song is chosen by judges strategically place along the route travel by the bands of costume revelers.

At the end of the day the song that got the best response from the various costume bands and deejays will be crowned Road March king or Tune of The Crop winner.