PRESS RELEASE

Wed. June 25th, 2025 – St. John’s, Antigua

The Antigua and Barbuda Festivals Commission (ABFC) officially announces the closure of registration for the INET Party Monarch Competition as of Friday, June 13th, 2025. This year, the ABFC is pleased to reveal an exciting turnout: 74 artists will compete in the Groovy category, while 70 artists will face off in the Jumpy category on July 1st and 2nd respectively.

Ahead of the Quarterfinals, the ABFC hosted its weekly Friday Vibes event on Friday, 20 June, where registered artists took part in the official draw to determine their performance positions for the upcoming Quarterfinals. The Quarterfinals will take place at Jack Idle, starting at 7:30 PM, with general admission priced at $20.00.

The Ministry led Friday Vibes, provides a platform for performances where many contenders unveiled their 2025 soca tracks. It also creates a mingle-and-networking environment for all creatives. Notably, the draw for the performance order took place well ahead of schedule, indicating the readiness for the Party Monarch compared to previous years.

In the Quarterfinals, the ABFC will select the top 15 artists from both the Groovy and Jumpy categories to advance to the Semifinals, which is set for Friday, July 18th at Carnival City featuring Young Bredda at 8:00pm and will take the form of a Cooler Fete.  

From there, the top 9 Groovy artists and the top 8 Jumpy artists will advance on to the Grand Finals, where they will compete for prestige, the crown, and major cash prizes. The Groovy Monarch will receive $50,000, while the Jumpy Monarch will battle to dethrone the reigning champion, Young Vice, and claim $50,000. The Finals will take place on Sunday, August 3rd at 8:00 PM, also at Carnival City.

Ambassador Elizabeth Makhoul, Chairperson of the ABFC, expressed heartfelt thanks: “We are truly grateful to APUA INET for their continued sponsorship and to our dedicated subcommittees and the National Festivals Office (NFO) for the tireless work being done behind the scenes.”

The Hon. Daryll S. Matthew, Minister responsible for Carnival, added: “I’m genuinely impressed by the quality of music produced this year. Our soca artists clearly understood the assignment to deliver excellent music that fuels the Carnival VIBE. Music is one of the main drivers of Antigua Carnival, and I commend the ABFC and NFO for their level of preparation and early implementation, which demonstrates their dedication and which has resulted in a strong public buy-in.”

The ABFC urges the public to support all Carnival events and, most importantly, to VIBE responsibly as we celebrate the culture, creativity, and VIBE of Antigua Carnival 2025.