The public is being asked to demonstrate their love for the Steel Pan artform tangible way by supporting the National Panorama Competition which was placed back on the annual carnival calendar after successful negotiations between the National Festivals Commission and the Antigua and Barbuda Steel Pan Association.

Festivals Minister Daryll Mathew said it is time for the public to demonstrate that the steel pan is not an exercise in futility.

“Support your children, support the art form. We are here now; the public has received what it said it wanted let us go out there and show the pan fraternity there is love for the art form and love for the competition,” the minister said.

Minister Mathew also added that noting the expense of putting a band on the road, corporate Antigua and Barbuda also has a role to play.

“The outpour of support we saw the other day from people suggesting we cannot, not have a panorama, we need to see that love in a very tangible way,” he said.

The Minister was addressing a news conference on Monday following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the National Festivals Commission and the Antigua and Barbuda Steelband Association over the staging of the 2024 Panorama Competition and other activities of Carnival

The agreement is for three years over which time the association will receive $1 million from the Commission.

Addressing the matter the minister said the signing brought a successful end to the ongoing dialogue.

“We will be signing for the staging of Panorama not only for this year, 2024 but an MOU that would indicate what our relationship would be and how this would be managed over the next three years,” he stated.

President of the Pan Association Patrick Johnson said he is pleased with the hard work of all the stakeholders to bring the matter to a successful ending.

“How we look at Carnival is that our involvement goes beyond Panorama; bands like to perform on the road, the bands like to play on the stage during the shows and we also like to perform at promotional events. So, the figure that we quote to the Festival Commission for our involvement encompasses the entirety of Pan’s involvement in Carnival”, Johnson said.

The Panorama competition 2024 is slated for August 3 at Carnival City. Seven steelbands are slated to participate; CUB Hell’s Gate Steelband, WIOC Gemonites, Harmonites, Panache, Original Steelband, Halcyon Steel Band and Westside Steel Band.