Culture Minister: No plans to cancel Carnival 2021

Minister of Community Development, Culture and the Arts Dr Nyan Gadsy-Dolly says Carnival 2021 will not be cancelled.

In a phone interview with Newsday on Wednesday, Gadsby-Dolly said, “There are no plans, at this time, given the current circumstance, to cancel Carnival 2021.”

She said discussions about the annual festival have begun but no definitive plans have been made as yet.

“We are still awaiting the situation with the opening of the borders and to know which countries will be allowed in and how that will impact tourism. So we are looking at the situation still. Yes we have discussions, but we have nothing firm yet.”

Several carnivals throughout the region and internationally have been cancelled or postponed becasue of the covid19 pandemic.

Gadbsy-Dolly said, at the end of June the ministry would be in a much better position to say what will happen.

“What we are clear about though is that we are not cancelling Carnival, but it is just the form of it that we are looking at.”

The form taken would depend on how many mas bands are coming, she added.

She said the private mas bands were also looking to determine how they can adjust themselves based on the opening of the borders. Border reopening has a lot to do with the bands’ presentation.

“We are giving ourselves until the end of the month and then we will see how we are looking with border opening.”

She added that the ministry and its team also wanted to have discussions with artistes as they have been putting forward points of views about events and whether physical distancing would affect the capacity of any gathering.

“If a gathering cannot take place with a restricted amount of people, then the prices of any kinds of fetes or parties would be affected. That will also affect how many artistes can be hired…”