Barbados Crop Over 2019
Crop Over is one of the greatest festivals in the world. This Barbadian festival is abundant with music, dancing and creativity unmatched by other events around the globe. Most people would have found out about Crop Over from seeing images of Rihanna in costume in the media. However, the world is now finding out about a festival that has been around for hundreds of years.
We in Barbados and the tourists who attend every year know how awesome the festival is. The dusk till dawn parties, cruises, music and local talent make it one of the most sought after events. As we are gearing up for another year I thought I would do an article with all the information needed for Crop Over 2019. I will explain what crop over is, let you know of all the hottest events and bands.
Crop Over 2019 Dates
The Crop Over festival in 2019 will start around March 25th and finish August 5th. Grand Kadooment will be on August 5th, 2019.
What is Crop Over
The Crop Over festival began over 200 years ago in Barbados during slavery.It signifies the end of the sugar cane season. Since its inception, it has grown to become the biggest festival in Barbados and one of the biggest carnivals in the world.
Crop Over is a series of celebrations filled with, soca music, calypso competitions, local arts and craft, concerts and endless parties. The festival usually began around June and ended in the first Monday in August. However, because of the growth and popularity of the festival celebrations now start as early as March.
This is when bands launch their costumes for the season and artists start to release music. The highlight of crop over is Grand Kadooment, which ends the season.
Grand kadooment
Kadooment Day or Grand Kadooment is the final celebration of the Crop Over season. It is always the first Monday in August. Kadooment is one massive parade with people partying though the streets behind bands dressed in colourful costumes. The street party starts at the National Stadium and ends at Spring Garden Highway.
At the end of Kadooment the bands are judged and the bands with the most creative costumes and theme are given prizes. The energy on kadooment Day is electrifying with the best Djs in the region on the music trucks, loads of drinks and the most beautiful costumes. To give you a better idea here is a short clip of some of the action on the road kadooment day with the band Fifth Element.
Crop Over 2019 Events
The Crop Over season is abundant with events that cater to everyone. These include cruises, j’ouverts, cooler fetes, all-inclusive parties and breakfast parties. Some of the biggest events of the season are Puff of Colour, Soca Royale, Bashment Soca Finals, Gimme Soca, We Ting and Foreday Morning.
Foreday Morning is one of the most anticipated events of the Crop Over season. I have covered Foreday in another article where I go into full details. Foreday takes place right before Grand Kadooment.
Around the end of May, I will post the full fete list here. Subscribe to our mailing list to be the first to receive the list of events.
Crop Over 2019 Bands
This is just a short list of some of the bands. I will post all the links to the bands with sections and prices here on the site so stay tuned. If you are part of our mailing list, you will receive information of the bands, their prices and packages directly.
Bands for Crop Over usually launch between March and June. This is where the bandleaders present the theme of their band to the public along with costumes. Many of the premium bands such as Aura and Zulu sell out fast as they are in high demand. My advice is to decide on your band as early as possible to secure your spot and get the best costumes.
Choosing a Crop Over Band
Choosing a Crop Over band can be difficult because there are so many options.With so many amazing costume designs and attractive packages, it can be a task. However, the band you choose depends on your budget, the costumes and the package offered by the band.
Luckily, all Kadooment bands offer all-inclusive packages. All-inclusive meaning the band provides everything, which is; drinks, food, portable bathrooms, security and snacks which are included in the price of the costume. Some bands go the extra mile and offer on board paramedics and air-conditioned rest areas.
However, although they are all-inclusive not all bands are equal. The truth is some bands offer better packages and most importantly a better experience. In addition, make sure your band has portable bathrooms, food, security, snacks and premium drinks. Check their package to make sure you get value for your money.
Here are some popular bands that are good choices to jump with; Aura, Zulu, Baje International, Kontact Band. These are just a few, as I will start posting the band list in April.
Choosing a Costume
When registering with a band you will have two choices, backline or frontline costumes.However, while some bands offer a midline section it is very rare.
Frontline costumes: Frontline costumes cost anywhere between $500 – $1000 USD depending on the band.
Backline: On average, most backline costumes will cost between $200 – $800 USD. Again, this depends on the band you choose.
Choosing your costume will come down to personal preference and what you feel comfortable wearing on the road. It will also come down to your budget and how much you are willing to spend. More importantly, I think you should go with a band that not only has a good price but a good package as well.
Photo credit goes to One Snap Media
Kiddies Kadooment
Do not think for one moment that the kids are left out of the fun around crop over. There are many activities for the children and they are able to take part in the festival. Kiddies kadooment or Junior Kadooment is a smaller version of Grand kadooment for the children. It is held annually approximately one week before Grand Kadooment. This year it will be held on July 27th.
The event features the parade of the Kings & Queens of the Junior Bands. This is where the kids dress in costumes and parade in bands in front of judges. Prizes are awarded to bandleaders based on originality, presentation and visual impact. There is always an after party for the kids after the parade.
To give you a better idea check out this video we did for Fifth Element for Junior Kadooment.
Junior kadooment Bands
Fifth Element Junior Kadooment
Band Betty West Junior Kadooment Band
Northern Mas Junior kadooment Band
Where to stay in Barbados for Crop Over
The best place to stay in Barbados for Crop Over is any hotel near the St. Lawrence Gap area. Hotels such as Ocean Two Resort, Southern Palms, Divi Southwinds or Ocean 15 to name a few. To be honest, there are many other hotels around the country however; St. Lawrence Gap is always a hive of activity.
There are nightclubs and restaurants in the gap so as a tourist you will have a much better time in this area. There is also an abundance of taxis in St. Lawrence as well so if you were looking for transportation to get around this would be ideal.
As usual you can check out carnival costumes from other carnivals on our page and also check out some of the work from our guy at One Snap Media who provided us with these incredible photos.