Minister of Creative Arts Daryl Mathew promises to make this year’s carnival what he called a magical one

The launch of the 2023 edition of Antigua Carnival – dubbed the Caribbean’s greatest summer festival –was officially launched yesterday, with a T-Shirt Mas parading through the city of St John’s.

That parade kicked off at the Old House of Culture on Parliament Drive.

“For two years we couldn’t have Carnival at all and so we’re here now in 2023 and we’ve gone through the most difficult of times. But Carnival is back. We’ve gone through periods where we missed Calypso and Steelband, Soca, the Queen of carnival…but Carnival is back” he said

“We have gone through periods where we couldn’t have our teenage pageant show, but Carnival is back. So, I want to use this opportunity to welcome all of you here to Antigua’s Carnival 2023. I want to use this opportunity to encourage all of you to participate in whatever part of the carnival you enjoy, whether it’s a t-shirt, mass, pageantry, Calypso, Carnival, Monday, Tuesday, J’ouvert, or whatever it is”

Mathew called on residents to go out and experience the country’s carnival celebrations

“Go out, experience carnival. Make this carnival the absolute greatest carnival that

Antigua and Barbuda has ever, ever seen. Because Carnival is not about us. It’s about you. It’s about the people. It’s about the culture. It’s about the arts. It’s about mass. It’s about music. It’s about magic,” he added.

Photos by: Wayne Mariette