St. Maarten Carnival – Welcome to Paradise

What is Carnival in St. Maarten?

Carnival in St. Maarten is like mixing New Year’s revelry, costumed parades and lots of loud calypso, soca and steelpan band music together. While Trinidad Carnival’s is the largest and most popular in the region, St. Marten Carnival has the longest carnival season and has been growing in popularity year after year.

St. Maarten Carnival is all about bringing together people from all different backgrounds and cultures. Carnival in St. Maarten is like a West Indies block party, where no matter your age, race or background everyone mixes together and has the time of their life.

Carnival in St. Maarten is the ultimate celebration of life. It spreads joy across the island and is all about showcasing and enjoying the local culture, food, music and pageantry. St. Maarten Carnival is the biggest event of the year and one of the island’s main largest attractions!

When is Carnival in St. Maarten?

The dates for the 2020 St. Maarten Carnival will run from Thursday 16th April until Sunday the 3rd May! The St. Maarten Carnival is officially the longest carnival or festival in the entire region its celebrations span an entire 33 days!

How do they celebrate carnival in St. Maarten?

For two months the locals unite and hit the streets dressed in costumes, singing, dancing, making music and enjoying life! St. Maarten Carnival is all about celebrating the local culture and heritage. It reflects the many influences and colorful identity of the island.

Every day the island host’s an exciting event to embrace and celebrate St. Maarten’s rich history and culture. Carnival is celebrated with parades, concerts, calypso competitions, steelpan bands, reggae bands, feathers, dancing, lots of feasting and drinking, partying, costumes, pageants and more.

St. Maarten Carnival – Celebrating 50 years of life!

“Celebrating 50 years of life” is this year’s St. Maarten Carnival slogan! This is because 2019 is officially the 50^th St. Maarten Carnival Celebration. Half a century! Five decades! Fifty wonderful years of carnival!. 50 years of great music, 50 years of revelry, 50 years of parades, 50 years of celebrating life in St. Maarten.

Where is the St. Maarten Carnival?

St. Maarten/St. Martin is a tiny island located in the Caribbean. It is actually the smallest island in the world that is shared by two nations, France and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This gives the island its unique European-influenced, Caribbean vibe.

The capital city is Phillipsburg which is where most of the carnival activities will occur at the custom built carnival village called the St. Maarten Carnival Village which is the epicentre for everything that occurs during carnival.

Carnival Village

St. Maarten’s Carnival Village is like nothing else in the Caribbean, or the world for that matter. It is the world’s first purposely-built carnival venue, the St. Maarten’s Carnival Village. The Carnival Village makes St. Maarten’s Carnival one of the most unique Caribbean Carnivals. 

It is essentially a giant rectangular shaped enclosure that is sort of reminiscent of an old country fair but with an unmistakable Caribbean vibe. There are around 80 booths which transform into shops, bars and eateries. Selling toys, arts, craft, clothes, and of course local delicacies like Johnny cakes or BBQ meats.

The Carnival Village also features a permanent state-of-the-art concert stage where major local and international concerts put on shows. This  year the three major international headliners will be Ashanti, Keyshia Cole and Ja Rule. They will be joined by local artists Kenyo Baly and Natisha Hanson.

What is the history of Carnival in St. Maarten?

The first ever St. Maarten Carnival took place in 1970’s on St. Maarten’s Day which is the 11^th November. It initially started out as an initiative by the Oranje Committee to celebrate the island and to attract tourism.

Two committee members were sent to St. Thomas Carnival, with the intention of recreating a similar celebration in St. Maarten. The first carnival was funded by local businesses who donated to the festivities with bands, troupes, food, drinks and even free electricity all provided to the first celebration.

The French part of the island starting to host their own St Maarten’s Day celebrations which stole a bit of the carnival’s thunder. So the celebrations were moved to the Queen’s birthday, April 30^th, to host the Grand Carnival Parade. More celebrations and festivities started to take place around the parade, to keep the good times rolling and the carnival continued to grow.

St. Maarten 2019 Carnival Schedule

St. Maarten Carnival is absolutely jam packed with everything a carnival-lover could possible want. There will be three incredible and colourful masquerade parades, six massive concerts with major international stars and the biggest J’ouvert in the Caribbean!

This year you will also have the popular Unity Jump-Up occur from the French over to the Dutch side as well as the Golden Ballroom Jump-Up, the Daybreak Breakfast fest, four pageants as well as a new pageant that’s only for the men and numerous other local events and concerts.

The official 2019 St. Maarten Carnival schedule

March

• Saturday 16th – Causeway Jump-Up – Road to Carnival at Soggy
• Sunday 17th – Kalaboom Sunday Brunch Day Fete
• Friday 22nd – Unity Anniversary Jump-Up (French to Dutch)
• Saturday 23th – Nagico Senior Calypso Eliminations
• Sunday 24th – Pageants Interview and Debate Competition
• Friday 29th – Pageants Swim and Sportswear Competition
• Saturday 30^th – Mr. GQ (Genuine Quality) 2019
• Sunday 31^st – Teen and Junior Carnival Queen Pageants

April

• Friday 5^th  – Golden Balloon Around Town Jump-Up & RTC
• Saturday 6^th  – Flashback RTC Jam by ThirtySevent21Ent
• Sunday 7^th  – Survivors Children Ballroom Jump-Up
• Friday 12^th  – Band Clash and Road March
• Saturday 13^th  – SCDF 50^th Gala Event and Recognitions
• Saturday 20^th  – Carnival Village Opening- Opening Jump-Up
• Sunday 21^st  – Easter Family Fun Day/ Village Cookup
• Monday 22^nd – Nagico Senior Calypso Finals
• Tuesday 23^rd  – Senior and Mature Carnival Queen Paeants
• Wednesday 24^th  – Soca Rumble
• Thursday 25^th  – Soulful Company Concert
• Friday 26^th  – Night of Hit Makers
• Saturday 27^th  – Jouvert – 4am, Caribbean Flag Fest – 8pm
• Sunday 28^th  – Junior Carnival Parade/Cultural Showcase
• Monday 29^th  – Youth Extravaganza by Teen Times
• Tuesday 30^th  – Grand Carnival Anniversary Parade

May

• Wednesday 1^st – Labor Day Parade
• Thursday 2^nd – Noche Latina Concert
• Friday 3^rd  – International Soca Concert
• Saturday 4^th  – One Love Reggae Concert
• Sunday 5^th  – Daybreak Breakfast Fete – 6am, Bacchanal Sunday – 8pm
• Monday 6^th  – Free Village Chill Night/Village Cock-Up
• Tuesday 7^th  – Burning of King Momo/Closing Carnival

St. Maarten Grand Carnival Parade & J’Ouvert 

You have to have a lot of stamina if you were to bear through an entire 33 days of carnival celebrations. Most visitors will concentrate on attending the more important events. The two most popular events at this carnival is the Grand Carnival Parade and the break of dawn parade known as J’ouvert which begins at 4am in downtown Phillipsburg.

The biggest event is the Grand Carnival Parade which always takes place on April 30^th where thousands of spectators come out to see the incredible display of colourful costumes, floats, steelpan bands, dancers singers, musicians, local cuisine and drinks. The parade winds its way from the Carnival Village through the downtown area.

Days after the parade, the carnival will close with the burning of King MouMou, a straw stuffed effigy who presides over carnival for its duration. This marks the end of carnival and the island of St. Maarten then returns to its normal tranquil self until the next years carnival!

St. Maarten Carnival Tips

It’s good to note that carnival activities and events run on “Caribbean time” so things may start late and run overtime, and no one seems to mind much, so just take note and learn to go with the flow. Visitors don’t need to where a costume, all you need is to turn up and be ready to have a good time!

The Grand Parade runs for around 3 hours and the sun can be quite strong so wear adequate sun protection. Many hotels actually supply large shade tents along key sections of the parade routes for their guests, so ask if your hotel does that.

How to get to and around St. Maarten?

There are two airports in St. Maarten the main one is St. Maarten’s Princess Juliana International Airport (PJIA) and the smaller one is L’Espérance Airport, is located on the French side of St. Martin. To get a quote for a flight click here.

There is transport around the island but and shuttle services that will take you around. You can also rent a car which makes it easier. Get a quote for a rental car here. To rent a bike or a scooter get a quote here.

Where to stay in St. Maarten for Carnival?

St. Maarten’s Carnival is actually a great one to attend because its celebrations occur at the end of April which is right after the hotel rates in the region drop from around 30-50% from the winter season highs.

Not only are the hotels much cheaper during St. Maarten’s carnival, the weather is still picture postcard clear because its well before the rainy season starts. You have plenty of accommodation options from luxury resorts and hotels, guest houses, rentals, there is something to fit every budget.

Check out some great accomodation deals here.

For more information about tours, things to do, sightseeing tours, day trips and more click here.