Guyana To Host Carifesta In 2027
Guyana has been officially confirmed as the host for CARIFESTA XVI, scheduled to take place from October 8 to 17, 2027. The premier regional arts and cultural festival returns to the country where the event originally debuted in 1972. CARICOM leadership has pledged full technical and logistical support to ensure the celebration effectively highlights Caribbean creative talent.
Guyana has been officially designated to host the sixteenth edition of the Caribbean Festival of Arts, known as CARIFESTA XVI, scheduled to run from October 8 to October 17, 2027. The announcement came following high-level discussions between Guyana's Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr, Minister Steven Jacobs, and Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett.
The 2027 staging marks the third time Guyana will host the region's premier cultural showcase, having staged the inaugural festival in 1972 and hosting again in 2008. Minister Ramson noted that welcoming the regional showcase back to the nation is both a significant privilege and an opportunity to celebrate regional identity, diversity, and artistic heritage.
Ramson highlighted that CARIFESTA XVI will provide a vital platform for Caribbean music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and literature. He stated that the festival aims to open economic and developmental doors for the creative sector, offering young practitioners international exposure while connecting historical heritage with modern regional innovation.
CARICOM Secretary-General Dr Carla Barnett pledged the Secretariat's full backing and technical expertise to assist Guyana with festival preparations. Barnett emphasised that CARIFESTA serves as a cornerstone of regional identity, providing artists with essential space to innovate, collaborate, and sustain livelihoods across the cultural industries.
For artists, performers, and cultural practitioners across the Virgin Islands and the wider Caribbean, the confirmation of CARIFESTA XVI provides a clear timeline to prepare delegations, productions, and exhibits for the region's most prominent cultural stage.
Primary source: VINO