2020 Carnival Season is Done

Jamaica – Postponed

St. Lucia – Cancelled

Guyana – Cancelled

Berlin – Cancelled

Hollywood – Cancelled

Philadelphia – Cancelled

Bahamas – Postponed

Orlando – Postponed

Atlanta – Postponed

St. Vincy – Cancelled

Grenada – Several bands have withdrawn

You can see from the above title and list what this is about. If you have been following me for any length of time you know how passionate I am about carnival and the culture. However we are in unprecedented times and as global citizens this is so much bigger than just the carnival loving community. If we want to first save ourselves and this beautiful culture we love, then we must be willing to lay the 2020 carnival season to rest. We must do this in order to save the 2021 season and beyond.

It is time to come to grips with what is happening in the world. The situation is alarming and uncertain. People are getting sick, leaving this world, the economy is in free fall and we don’t quite know when this will end.

Carnival is not exempt from the state of the world. There are a number of carnivals and events that have been either postponed or outright cancelled. The fallout from these postponements and cancellations is real. There is a war between customers who want refunds and businesses that won’t or can’t give back money. It is for these reasons that I believe the 2020 carnival season is a wrap.

Let’s take a look at the facts in this scenario using Caribana; which takes place the first weekend in August. I spoke with the section leader of a prominent band for insight. Suppose by some miracle everything clears up by May. That leaves two months for bands to plan a launch, generate interest from clients, wait for orders, gather supplies, and actually produce costumes. There is no way that this could be done without a huge amount of stress and pressure which would likely result in errors.

Before you suggest Caribana be postponed until a later date, what date would you suggest? The next holiday is Labor day, which would clash with New York’s carnival. Perhaps October then? Would you want to play mas in cold Toronto in October? Even if we use a different carnival like Crop Over, which is held in Barbados, moving it to a later date still would be problematic. There is hurricane season and then holiday season. Do you see the issues?

We also have not factored in the possible economic fall out. Since most of us are on lock down many people are not working. Will people be willing to spend money on carnival as freely?

Now let’s look at health concerns. If there is not vaccine, which will likely take a year to develop, will people want to attend and have the same energy whining on strangers? We don’t know if there will be a second wave like with the flu of 1918 (the Spanish Flu). Also how would it work if bands pushed themselves to the limit only to end up with half filled sections?

As a lover of the culture I am willing to acquiesce and let 2020 Carnival Season go for a more stable future. If we continue to force this issue there will only be more issues. There will be contention between customers and businesses over refunds. We’ll have bands out of money for costumes they can’t sell. There will be many customers out of money for costumes, flights and fetes. This list goes on and on. I don’t want to see this culture I love implode. If we continue to force the 2020 season then even when the world recovers, we will not.

Consider these things as we work to save carnival 2021 and beyond. Remember the culture is nothing without the people. We all need to focus on being well at this moment.

Feel free to leave your input below. I only ask that you keep it respectful. Above all else be well and safe. Love and prayers to all who have been affected. Thank you to all essential personnel who keep the world running. 💗