Sugar Mas 55: St. Kitts carnival dates for 2026–27

Sugar Mas is the national carnival of St. Kitts and Nevis, and it runs through Christmas and New Year rather than before Lent. The name nods to the sugar cane that shaped the island's history. The 2026–27 season is Sugar Mas 55.

The dates

The St. Kitts & Nevis National Carnival Committee released the full calendar in June 2026. The official season runs from 11 December 2026 to 2 January 2027. The big nights:

Where it happens

Carnival is centred on Basseterre. The shows and competitions are staged at Warner Park, where carnival was first staged in 1957, and the parades take over the streets of the capital.

J'ouvert and the Grand Parade

J'ouvert on Boxing Day is the early-morning street jump-up through Basseterre, with bands and music trucks leading the crowd. The Grand Parade on New Year's Day is the costumed spectacle, with troupes in feathers and sequins, followed the next day by the Last Lap, carnival's final street jump-up.

If you're coming

• Schedules can shift. Check the National Carnival Committee's announcements closer to the time.
• Nevis has its own big festival, Culturama, in late July and early August.

Photo: Carnival sugar mas st. kitts by OrangeOtoño, CC BY 2.0.