From August 22 to 31, 2025, Barbados will host the 15th edition of the Caribbean Festival of Arts(CARIFESTA XV). Under the theme “Caribbean Roots…Global Excellence”, the event promises to be a major artistic melting pot, combining historical memory, contemporary excellence and sustainable vision.
A living memory, deep roots
CARIFESTA has its origins in the Caribbean Festival of Arts held in San Juan in 1952, the first attempt to bring Caribbean artists together under a common banner. Two decades later, in 1972, Guyana gave shape to the project by hosting the very first official edition in Georgetown, with over 1,000 artists from thirty countries.
Since then, each edition has strengthened regional integration, making CARIFESTA a major cultural event, supported by CARICOM. In 2019, CARIFESTA XIV in Trinidad and Tobago marked a technical and logistical milestone, paving the way for a particularly ambitious 2025 edition.
Why Barbados in 2025?
Bridgetown will be hosting CARIFESTA for the third time, after 1981 and 2017. The logistical experience gained, the existing cultural infrastructure and the political will to position the island as a regional creative capital make it a strategic choice.
Under the aegis of the National Cultural Foundation, Barbados is committed to offering a festival with high social, environmental and economic added value. The theme “Caribbean Roots…Global Excellence” is threefold: honoring Caribbean heritage, celebrating contemporary excellence, and building a sustainable future.
A multi-faceted program, between tradition and innovation
Honoring our heritage
Opening ceremonies, the “Holy Train” parade and heritage exhibitions will mark the festival’s debut. The “Sunday Food” event, scheduled for the very first days, will showcase regional culinary traditions.
Celebrating Caribbean excellence
Country Nights” will highlight the artistic expressions of each participating nation. Four Super Concerts and themed evenings will pay tribute to the great cultural figures of the Caribbean. A central market, dubbed the “Grand Marché & Trade Hub”, will bring together artisans, designers, filmmakers and fashion designers.
Artistic innovation will be at the heart of this year’s event, with a painting workshop led by Ghanaian artist Benjamin Agbeyegah, a symbol of renewed Afro-Caribbean cultural dialogue. On the cinema front, a Film Festival and a New Filmmakers Bootcamp will showcase the region’s emerging talent.
Building a sustainable future
Big Conversations” and the UWI Symposium will address forward-looking themes: artificial intelligence in the arts, the green creative economy, cultural rights and the energy transition. An area entitled “Sustainability by the Sea” will feature eco-responsible practices such as beach clean-ups, sustainable gastronomy and environmental education.
The Business Forum will provide a forum for artists, investors and institutions to discuss cultural diplomacy and hybrid business models.
Economic and geopolitical leverage
CARIFESTA XV is more than just a series of shows. It is a strategic lever for Barbados and the region:
- 🎯 Stimulate the local economy: expected increase in tourism, creation of temporary jobs, boost to small cultural businesses.
- 🎯 Strengthening South-South ties: Ghana’s participation in 2025 illustrates a desire to deepen bridges between Africa and the Caribbean, in a logic of cultural diplomacy. This axis is reinforced by the academic and artistic collaborations planned during the University of the West Indies (UWI) symposium.
- 🎯 Encouraging creative entrepreneurship: merchandising, regional distribution, exporting know-how are at the heart of the proposed model.
An edition not to be missed
CARIFESTA XV is much more than just a calendar of shows. It is a manifesto of what the Caribbean can become: a space of cultural innovation, South-South cooperation and affirmed sustainability. From the first note played in the parade to the last intervention in the symposium, every moment of the festival will carry with it this shared ambition: to make Caribbean roots shine on the world stage.
