Montserrat’s Participation in CARIFESTA XV Uncertain with Two Months to Go

Montserrat’s involvement in this year’s Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA XV) remains uncertain, with just two months to go before the regional cultural showcase opens in Barbados.

Although the biennial festival is set to run from August 22 to 31, 2025, the Montserrat Arts Council (MAC), which coordinates the island’s participation, has not yet confirmed what level of funding will be available to support a national contingent.

Director Kenneth “Rabo” Silcott said the MAC is still awaiting confirmation of budget allocations and is therefore unable to announce whether an official team will be attending.

CARIFESTA, which celebrates its 15th edition this year, returns to Barbados under the theme Caribbean Roots, Global Excellence. The island last hosted the festival in 1981 and again in 2017. This year’s event is expected to draw artists from across the region to showcase the best of Caribbean music, theatre, dance, visual arts, literature, fashion, culinary arts and film.

Montserrat has a long-standing history of participation in CARIFESTA, with its largest-ever delegation travelling to Trinidad and Tobago in 2019. That contingent included representatives in music, masquerade, literary arts, technology and visual arts. The festival was paused after the pandemic and did not take place in 2023.

Despite the uncertainty at the national level, artists and creatives from Montserrat are encouraged to apply independently to participate in this year’s programme. Interested individuals can register directly via the official CARIFESTA website at www.carifesta.net/registration.

Festival Director Carol Roberts-Reifer has emphasised the importance of sustained investment and regional cooperation to ensure CARIFESTA’s longevity and continued relevance. “This is not just a festival, it’s a cultural movement,” she said in a recent statement. “CARIFESTA celebrates who we are, unites our people, and provides a global stage for our artists.”

First launched in Guyana in 1972, CARIFESTA has since been hosted in several Caribbean nations and remains a cornerstone of regional cultural diplomacy. Organisers are calling on governments, private sector leaders, and the diaspora to rally behind the event as a platform to promote Caribbean creativity, talent development, and unity.

With no formal announcement yet on Montserrat’s delegation, local creatives are left in limbo. However, the opportunity to join individually ensures that Montserrat’s artistic voices can still find a place on the regional stage,  even if under their own banner.

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