Guyana to Host Next Edition of CARIFESTA

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Guyana will host the Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) in October next year promising to deliver “a festival that celebrates the diversity, creativity, and shared identity of our region”.

(File Photo)Culture Minister Charles S. Ramson, said that the region’s premier arts and cultural festival will be held from October 8–17 and it will be the third time that Guyana will host CARIFESTA having done so in 1972 and 2008.

Ramson led a delegation that met with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary General, Dr. Carla Barnett and senior officials of the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat on Thursday to discuss the staging of CARIFESTA XVI.

“Guyana holds a unique place in the history of CARIFESTA, having hosted the inaugural festival in 1972. To welcome CARIFESTA XVI back to the ‘Land of Many Waters’ for the third time is both a tremendous privilege and an important opportunity to showcase the splendour of this unique Caribbean civilisation,” said Ramson.

“Our mission is to deliver a festival that celebrates the diversity, creativity, and shared identity of our region, while strengthening the bonds that unite us as Caribbean people. CARIFESTA XVI will provide a platform to showcase the richness of our regional art, music, dance, theatre, and literature, alongside other forms of cultural expression, while creating opportunities for greater international cultural exchange, collaboration, and exposure for our artists and cultural practitioners.

“Ramson said beyond the performances and celebrations, Guyana wants CARIFESTA XVI to create a lasting legacy, saying “it should open doors for our creative industries, provide greater opportunities for our young people and cultural practitioners, and demonstrate to the world the depth, diversity and excellence of Caribbean talent.

“We want CARIFESTA XVI to be a celebration of where we have come from and where Caribbean civilisation is going. It is an opportunity to connect our rich cultural heritage with the creativity, innovation and aspirations of a new generation, while strengthening the Caribbean’s presence on the global cultural stage.”

Barnett, who pledged the Secretariat’s full support for Guyana’s preparations, described CARIFESTA as a “cornerstone of Caribbean cultural expression, and the Secretariat stands ready to provide Guyana with all the expertise, guidance, and technical support necessary to ensure the successful staging of CARIFESTA XVI.

“Beyond logistics, each staging of CARIFESTA affirms the value of our artists, giving them space to innovate, collaborate, and inspire. It strengthens the cultural industries that sustain livelihoods, nurtures the next generation of talent, and ensures that our stories continue to be told in our own voices.”

Barnett said CARIFESTA XVI will be “another opportunity to remind ourselves, and to show the world, that CARICOM creativity is boundless, and that our culture is one of our greatest assets.”

The last festival, CARIFESTA XV, was hosted in Barbados in August 2025 under the theme “Caribbean Roots, Global Excellence.”