USVI celebrates ‘resounding success’ of St. Thomas Carnival

The US Virgin Islands (USVI) Department of Tourism and the Division of Festivals are celebrating what they describe as “the resounding success” of the 2024 St. Thomas Carnival.

The department said on Tuesday that kicking off with cultural staples including the Prince & Princess Show, Queen Show, Calypso Monarch and Panorama, the St. Thomas Carnival festivities welcomed thousands of revelers, including locals, the Diaspora and visitors, to the shores of Charlotte Amalie for a multi-day celebration spotlighting the broad culture and traditions of the island territory.

“Carnival in the US Virgin Islands is growing, allowing us to display our rich and vibrant culture to the world,” said Commissioner Joseph Boschulte of the US Virgin Islands Department of Tourism.

“This success is a testament to the continued hard work of our Department of Tourism and Division of Festivals staff whose unwavering efforts showcase our home islands,” he said.

The USVI Department of Tourism said that Machel Montano kicked off six nights of free nightly concerts in the Festival Village, followed by performances from KES the Band, Sizzla Kalonji, Patrice Roberts, Barrington Levy, Adam O, TeeJay, Spectrum Band, Temisha, and more.

On Saturday night, the department said international superstar Shaggy closed out the village, performing hits like “It Wasn’t Me,” “Boombastic,” and “Angel” in front of thousands of fans.

The tourism department said Children’s and Adult Parade days were filled with revelers in bright and ornate costumes adorned with jewels, feathers, and traditional madras fabrics.

“Every year, we want to bring the best experiences to the people of the U.S. Virgin Islands for carnival,” said Ian Turnbull, US Virgin Islands Director of Festivals.

“We are extremely excited to continue growing our national celebrations and welcoming the world to experience them with us,” he added.

With carnival arrivals growing by nearly 27 percent, compared to 2023, and record event attendance throughout April’s celebrations, the USVI Department of Tourism and Division of Festivals said they continue to “innovatively” lead “transformative progress in carnival culture and destination marketing within the Caribbean region.”

Carnival season in the USVI will kick off again in less than two months, when the St. John Celebration begins in late June.

The USVI are official US territory in the Caribbean that consists of three individual islands – St. Thomas, St. John and St. Croix.