Carnival in Jamaica

Carnival is one of the biggest cultural celebrations in Jamaica, where visitors can enjoy festive activities including beach parties and the culminating final Road March event.

Carnival, also known as Bacchanal, enriches Jamaica’s Easter time, bringing the island’s cities to life. Taking place in the middle of Kingston, Montego Bay, and Ocho Rios, you can enjoy a true representation of authentic Caribbean vibes and the captivating atmosphere that Jamaica has to offer.

A Little About the History

Jamaica Carnival is discernable by the calypso and reggae music played by live bands and musicians which go together with the Soca music and parties that attract the festival goers to the festivities. The Carnival was started in 1989 by a group of passionate carnival celebrators, a band called The Oakridge Boys, who had spent many years making the yearly trip to Trinidad on partying at their world-renowned street party.

Trinidad’s festival is held in Port-of-Spain and is apparently the biggest influencing factor in the Jamaica Carnival. Festival attendees can enjoy the vibes of Trinidadian soca performances, steel bands, and costume inventors, many of whom participate in the Jamaica Carnival.

Apparently, after Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 and the 1989 election, the Oakridge Boys’ Trinidad jaunt was canceled. So they decided to organize a Jamaican equivalent, where visitors could join in the dancing in the street, and parades where they can enjoy shows from over-the-top costumed crowds of dancers that create the tone for the celebrations at the Jamaica Carnival.

The Road March features a grand parade of costumed sectors all creating a colorful and beautiful display as attendees wind their way along the streets.

In the first few years, the sections were judged according to different criteria, and the winners were given special prizes.

One of the sectors was the Oakridge Boys group, which became the leading band in the carnival, who won the prize for the first three years of the festival.

Despite the similarities to the Trinidad festival, the Jamaica Carnival wasn’t created to contend with Trinidad, which is also celebrated at Easter time, but rather as an addition to the Caribbean festivals offered at this time. It also allowed those who could not make the trip to Trinidad to enjoy the festivities.

A couple of years after the carnival started, another group called the Raiders introduced J’ouvert to Jamaica, which added to the enjoyment of the festival. After this addition, many others were added, including the Dirty Mas, which includes chocolate and paint covered people walking before sunrise, and the Wet Fete. The carnival gained popularity and became an undying celebration on the island.

In 2000, a few of the bands wanted independence and created Bacchanal Jamaica, made up of the Oakridge, Revellers, and Raiders. Oxford Road was the first home of Bacchanal, which is popularly called Mas Camp, and to this day still, features its Friday afternoon lime.

People can buy costumes and appreciate live entertainment while starting the practice of “letting go” which prepares carnival goers for the festival’s grand finale – the Road Parade.