She invited the region to the festival of arts to be hosted by Barbados from 22-31 August 2025.

“I’m inviting you, God willing, to create, to participate and simply to come. I speak to each and every one of us as Caribbean people, not just as members of CARICOM, but every one of the Caribbean people that can hear my voice, come,” stated the Chair, and emphasised that the festival will be an occasion to “celebrate all that is good and is possible for our Caribbean civilisation, as we do what we do best in the expression of our Festival of Arts: CARIFESTA.”

“As we would say in Barbados, “miss this and blame yourself”. Food and fashion, music and dance, art, craft, sculpture and good old Caribbean talk from philosophy to attitudes, from religion to development. Let us use this as an opportunity to build resilience in our region spiritually and psychologically. Let us gather and feed our souls and nurture our spirit as Caribbean people,” she urged.

Planning for CARIFESTA XV is already in motion, with virtual meetings convened in September and November 2024 with the CARICOM Secretariat and officials from the Prime Minister’s Office and Division of Culture (Barbados).

The theme, regional launch of the festival, the Host Country Agreement, establishment of the host country management committee and regional technical support team were critical aspects of the discussion. The festival’s logistics, programme details and the marketing and communication approaches also formed part of the agenda.

“Our priorities are the visibility of the festival, ensuring that our artists realise benefits from participating, and that Caribbean people and international visitors have all the requisite information to enjoy all aspects of the events,” stated Hilary Brown, Hilary Brown, Programme Manager (Culture).