As Vincy Mass 2026 gears up, leaders from the Calypso and Massbands associations are detailing an action-packed schedule while shedding light on the financial and logistical struggles facing the cultural sectors.
Earl Caba Bennett, representing the Calypso Association, unveiled a robust calendar featuring four local calypso tents: Upstage Experience, Onto, Graduates, and Calypso Cabaret.
The local tent action officially begins on Wednesday, May 27th, at the Russell’s Auditorium. Uniquely, St. Vincent also boasts a diaspora tent, “Dynamites,” located in Brooklyn, New York, which will face the judges on June 6th before the adjudication moves back to the local tents.
On the masquerade front, Ali Cadogan of the Massbands Association highlighted that there are currently 15 registered costume bands operating across St. Vincent and the Grenadines, including sections in Glen, Kingstown, and Leeward.
However,Cadogan noted that the creation of mass remains a “labor of love and sacrifice,” with most bands operating out of rundown buildings lacking proper facilities. Only two bands currently have a permanent home, and the association is hoping to secure a dedicated space from the government this year.
Cadogan stressed the heavy financial burden of producing mass, noting that putting a single music truck on the road costs between $8,000 and $20,000, exclusive of security and food. She issued a strong plea for increased investment from the Vincentian corporate sector to help sustain and elevate the festival