BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, July 22, – With Crop Over 2025 soon to wrap up in grand style, Barbados is immediately shifting into full gear to host the highly anticipated CARIFESTA XV, taking place from 22–31 August 2025.
The island is proud to announce that it is ready and fully equipped to welcome the Caribbean and the world for 10 unforgettable days of music, art, dance, fashion, food, film, and cultural dialogue.
“Barbados is the place to be this August for CARIFESTA XV, which will be a beautiful melting pot of Caribbean cultures, foods, fashion, performances and visual arts,” says the Chief Executive Officer of the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI), Ms. Andrea Franklin. “Now more than ever, it’s an amazing moment in our regional history to come together, honour what makes each island unique, and celebrate the vibrant threads that bind us all. This is where the best of the Caribbean will be, in one place, at one time, in Barbados.”
Much of the core festival infrastructure has already been strategically pre-prepared. Prefabricated, ready-to-install structures for key festival sites, including the Grand Market, Super Concert stages, and cultural villages, will begin installation immediately following the close of Crop Over 2025. This will allow for a seamless transition between the two major festivals.
A Region United in One Festival
CARIFESTA XV, under the theme “Caribbean Roots. Global Excellence,” is more than a festival, it is a roving cultural summit for the Caribbean and its diaspora. This year’s programme includes:
Four Super Concerts featuring regional icons and international artists
The CARIFESTA Film Festival and outdoor screenings
Daily Fashion Shows and Caribbean couture exhibitions
The Grand Market & Trade Hub, the largest in CARIFESTA history
A robust Youth Village with intergenerational creative programming
The Big Conversations Symposia, tackling Caribbean identity, climate, and innovation
Culinary showcases highlighting food from across the region
Sustainability activations with a future-forward, eco-conscious approach
Barbados will transform into a living gallery of Caribbean excellence, hosting over 25 participating countries, including delegations from Ghana, Cuba, Brazil, and Colombia, as well as creatives and audiences from the Caribbean diaspora.
Your Invitation to Experience CARIFESTA XV in Barbados
Festival goers can enjoy a seamless, vibrant, and immersive experience that blends Caribbean tradition and innovation, with top-tier accommodations, world-renowned hospitality, and year-round sunshine.
Plan your trip and explore festival events at: www.visitbarbados.org/carifesta
Full programme details and event updates available at: www.Carifesta.net
About CARIFESTA & Barbados
The Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) is the region’s flagship celebration of creativity, cultural excellence, and Caribbean unity. Since 1972, it has brought together artists, innovators, and thought leaders from across the Caribbean and its diaspora to shape a shared identity through performance, dialogue, and connection.
Barbados holds the exceptional distinction of hosting CARIFESTA for the third time, CARIFESTA IV in 1981, CARIFESTA XIII in 2017, and now again in 2025 CARIFESTA XV. Each hosting reflects a defining moment in the island’s national journey: from post-Independence growth to digital innovation, to its current chapter as a confident Parliamentary Republic. Once again, Barbados stands ready to welcome the region and the world as a premier destination, and as a visionary cultural leader committed to unity, sustainability, and Caribbean excellence.
ENDS