Carnival 2021 Postponement

Port of Spain, Trinidad: Tuesday, September 29, 2020: The National Carnival Commission of Trinidad and Tobago (NCC) is in complete accord with the recent announcement by the Prime Minister, Dr. The Honourable Keith Rowley and the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago with respect to the adjournment of Carnival 2021, in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

As the Prime Minister rightfully indicated, the preservation of lives and livelihoods is of paramount importance, and, given the expected trajectory of the pandemic, it is highly unlikely at this time to consider as a given, the staging of the annual festival.

Our next steps, as an organisation committed to cultural development and celebration, therefore, depend heavily on building on the groundwork that we have already laid in place with our stakeholders to restructure and innovate Carnival and its many events, and exploring viable ways of digitally promoting the Festival, while safeguarding both its sustainability and the nation’s health and wellbeing.

The NCC remains optimistic as the Government’s announcement has undoubtedly further opened the way for meaningful discourse with regard to how we can still celebrate Carnival beyond the scope of a purely physical event, and provide avenues for many of the Festival’s industries and members to grow and develop during this challenging time.

As always, the NCC stands committed to upholding the Government’s decisions, as our leadership and our people continue to navigate this global pandemic, always holding in the highest regard the safety and well-being of our population, which includes the many and diverse Carnival communities we serve.

To that end, we will resume, in earnest, our stakeholder consultations with all relevant partners, including our Line Ministry, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, to map out our next steps. We will share more details with the public in due course.