St. Maarten Carnival sees record local engagement, social media influencers trigger strong results

GREAT BAY--The St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) is gearing up for a festival that is not only longer, but has also seen record registration numbers across the board for various events, along with strong media and influencer/content creator interest. Carnival 2026, the 55th celebration of St. Maarten’s Carnival, will officially kick off on April 10, with the first pre-Carnival event set for March 14. Carnival 2026 runs until May 5.

President of the SCDF Edwardo Radjouki said nearly all local events scheduled for Carnival have recorded increased registration numbers. These include 17 Grand Parade troupes, 23 calypso singers, 23 pageant contestants (across all pageants combined, including the Caribbean pageant), more Jouvert troupes than ever and strong participation from various local artists and bands. The foundation will also welcome back its traditional international concerts, the Youth Extravaganza, Culture Night, Band Night, and several new additions to the schedule.

“It is February and we are about to crank up the exposure for all of our events, but needless to say, we are extremely happy that for Carnival 2026 everybody seems to be on an elevated high to fete, and to do so for almost a month,” Radjouki said. “The volunteer members of the SCDF have been working for months, since the end of Carnival 2025, to make 55 years a special one,” he added.

In addition to local excitement, Radjouki explained that regional and international interest has also increased significantly this year. He credited the growth of St. Maarten’s largest festival to the SCDF’s deliberate shift toward cross-promoting the festival across as many Carnival stakeholders as possible who want to collaborate. He also noted that local and Caribbean influencers have helped generate strong interest in St. Maarten Carnival.

As an example, SCDF Marketing Coordinator Mike Granger said that through influencer promotion and social media collaboration, the SCDF has seen its Instagram following increase by 30% in the last two months, and it is still growing. “With limited financing, the SCDF had to get creative with the promotion of Carnival. We have partnered with local and regional content creators, and the results have been amazing. We are looking to expand on such partnerships as we work to reposition our festival and expand its global reach with new energy and new partners that buy into not just promoting Carnival, but have a vested interest in its growth and what it does for the economy of our country,” Granger said.

Radjouki added that the public can now expect a steady stream of Carnival content every day leading up to the first pre-Carnival event on March 14, the launch event at Republic Bank in Philipsburg. “We have so much information to share, it can sometimes feel overwhelming, but this is a good problem to have. We are excited to unveil all of our plans, and those of our stakeholders, to the world. As our slogan states, we want everyone to Come, Experience Life, for St. Maarten Carnival,” Radjouki concluded.

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