Trinidad Carnival 2026 was the best and worst Carnival ever.
Objectively speaking, this was the cold, hard, unwatered down truth. However, the flip side of the coin is, it kind of makes one love Trinidad Carnival even more.
Ever Thankful, For Trinidad Carnival.
One of the things we all probably need to learn how to do, is love unconditionally. Love when it might be unpopular or when the object of your love is struggling. That, is exactly what it felt 2026 was like for Trinidad Carnival.
As mentioned in an earlier article, the warning signs of this Carnival being less than usual, were there from the very beginning. Usually, Trinidad Carnival starts somewhere between the end of Xmas/Parang and the New Year.
However, this year, (2026) felt like a bunch of false starts. With every new fete, there was the hope that now, the season was really in full sway and back to its usual self but to be honest, that never materialised. Trinidad Carnival 2026, basically never reached the usual lofty heights of Trinidad Carnival. Although, conversely, there were a lot of free fetes and performances in the Savannah in Port Of Spain. It is possible, that attending more of these events, would have enabled us to capture more of the Trinidad Carnival 2026 spirit.
Making The Most Of The Mas.
Nevertheless, a bad Trinidad Carnival is still better than the majority of other Carnivals world wide. Some sweet whine was still passed from masquerader to masquerader and everybody that wanted a taste of real mas, got it!!!! Countless times prior, Trinidad Carnival has been the real M.V.P. (most valuable player). With that being said, it is okay for TT mas, to finally have a relatively, off couple of days.
As per usual, we’ll still be able to leave Piarco knowing that a good time was had. That sweet memories were made, given, received and shared. That, as Shortpree would say, is a Mas Well Played.
The only lingering concern in the back of our heads/minds/hearts now is: will Trinidad be able to bounce back to normal next year? Only Trinis know what they are going through. However, the very lifestyle of Trinis and by extenstion, Trinbagonian culture is at stake. If there is one thing about Trinis, regardless of gender, it is that Trinis love to make money. Key word being love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That is the biggest and best advantage that anyone could hope for. What this means is all the government has to do is figure out the best ways for citizens to make money and then share this information with them. With Trinis being a set of people who are money motivated, there is no doubt that Trinis will follow through.
A little research is all that is stopping things from getting to where they need to be. Now admittedly, this sounds like an oversimplification. Certainly, no mention has been made of the various challenges facing Trinidadians. However, this is something Trinis are likely already aware of. Secondly, putting emphasis on one specific step, to help an overarching goal be achieved, is a great way to achieve progress.
There is wisdom in only giving people one job to do. As, it gives that particular task, a high chance of getting done, since it is the only task that needs to be done.
Never Chase Waterfalls, Stay In Your Section!!!!
Finally, to end this article. Although we definitely enjoyed Trinidad Carnival 2026. (We played with a brand new Jouvert and Mas Band). It is fair to say that our usual Jouvert and Mas Band, simply know how to do it better!!!!
So, assuming life, Trinidad Carnival 2027 will either see us return to our usual bands, or play ah mas with some even more premium or bigger bands. Who knows?
Moreover, it would be amazing if were able to collab with a band and have our own section one day. That way, you’d all be able to play ah mas with us and see for yourself, how it is done!!!!
As always, much Island Love to you all.
Thank you for reading this article!!!!!
