Sixteen (16) Schools across Saint Lucia have qualified for the inaugural National Schools Soca Competition on Friday, June 6, 2025, as part of events under the Lucian Junior Carnival Calendar.

To secure a place in this year’s competition, interested schools participated in a closed audition on Wednesday, May 7, where students performed in front of a panel of experienced judges. Judges assessed lyrical content, stage presence, vocal delivery, and overall artistic impact, to determine the young artists who would advance to the final stage of competition. The National Schools Soca Competition is divided into Infant/Primary and Secondary school segments. The schools emerging successful are as follows.

Infant/Primary School Category

Secondary School Category

The National Schools Junior Calypso and Soca Competitions form part of the broader Junior Carnival Season, a key component of the national Lucian Carnival calendar. These initiatives aim to nurture young artists and ensure the sustainability of the vibrant musical heritage of Saint Lucia.

To stay informed on updates on the National Schools Calypso Competition such as venue and ticket information, and information on other national carnival events, go to www.carnivalsaintlucia.com or follow @JRCarnivalSaintLucia on Facebook, and Instagram.

Twenty (20) schools across Saint Lucia have been selected for the highly anticipated National Schools Calypso Competition scheduled for Friday, June 6, 2024, at the SAB, Vigie, Castries.

In a closed auditioned held on Friday, May 2, forty-one (41) schools across Saint Lucia auditioned to be a part of this year’s competition, proudly showcasing their contribution to preserving and promoting Calypso culture. The National Schools Calypso Competition will be divided into two segments: Infant/Primary schools and Secondary schools. The schools emerging successful are as follows.

Infant/Primary School Category

Secondary School Category

In addition to the National Schools Calypso Competition, auditions for the 2025 National Schools Soca Competition are scheduled for Friday, May 7, 2024, with results to be announced soon after. An impressive 30 schools have applied to participate in the Soca Competition, reflecting the growing enthusiasm among youth for local music and cultural expression.

The National Schools Junior Calypso and Soca Competitions form part of the broader Junior Carnival Season, a key component of the national Lucian Carnival calendar. These initiatives aim to nurture young artists and ensure the sustainability of the vibrant musical heritage of Saint Lucia.

To stay informed on updates on the National Schools Calypso Competition such as venue and ticket information, and information on other national carnival events, go to www.carnivalsaintlucia.com or follow @JRCarnivalSaintLucia on Facebook, and Instagram.

The seven exceptional delegates vying for the 2025 National Carnival Queen title were officially presented to their corporate sponsors during a Sashing Ceremony, hosted on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at the Sandals Grande Resort.

The annual event, streamed live to the public, marked a key milestone on the journey to the highly anticipated Pageant. Each delegate was ceremoniously sashed by her sponsor, symbolizing the start of an ambassadorship that blends corporate support with cultural development.

The 2025 delegates and their respective sponsors are as follows:

• Contestant No. 1 – Miss Bank of Saint Lucia; Emerle Tisson
• Contestant No. 2 – Miss JP Chenet; Kertrina Oculi
• Contestant No. 3 – Miss Dazzle – Hadassah Romulus
• Contestant No. 4 – Miss Caribbean Galaxy Real Estate – Ziggy Kenya Vitalis
• Contestant No. 5 – Miss Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort – Kittle Symphorien
• Contestant No. 6 – Miss Duty Free Pointe Seraphine – Shernia Phillip
• Contestant No. 7 – Miss Saint Lucia Tourism Authority – Tatiana Clovis Freitas

In her welcome address, Chairperson of the Carnival Planning & Management Committee, Ms. Tamara Gibson, commended sponsors on their contributions to the development of the pageant and its delegates. She also noted additions to this year’s journey “We’re focusing on sustainability and working with other partners and sponsors to ensure that our 7 delegates can leave a lasting impact throughout this season through environmentally friendly exercises like tree-planting and visiting schools during reading month and the schools tour. This pageant is more than beauty. It’s about touching lives and literally making the world a greener, better place.”

Following the sashing, the delegates will now become ambassadors for their brands. Sponsors arrange various sessions to give delegates an insight into their business, including tours of their facilities.

The sashing ceremony is available for viewing on the YouTube page of Carnival Saint Lucia.  Follow @saintluciacarnivalqueenpageant on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more updates on the pageant and @carnivalsaintlucia for all things Carnival. The National Carnival Queen Pageant is set to take place on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at the Pavilion on Rodney Bay.

The Carnival Planning & Management Committee (CPMC) in collaboration with the Carnival Music Management Committee (CMMC) announced the upcoming deadline for the submission of applications for the 2025 National Groovy and Power Soca Competition as midnight on Friday, May 23rd, 2025.

Several artistes have already set the tone for the season with the release of fresh new tracks in Groovy, Power Soca and Dennery Segment genres. These early releases are generating excitement across the airwaves and online, showcasing the energy, creativity, and lyrical power of Saint Lucian talent. Fans and supporters can listen to these songs now on the official Lucian Carnival YouTube page.

Artistes interested in participating in the 2025 Groovy and Power Soca Monarch are required to complete the electronic form, uploading an image of themselves, as well as the intended competition song and backup track in WAV or MP3 format.  The registration link can be accessed via the “Competitions” page on www.carnivalsaintlucia.com, or https://carnivalsaintlucia.com/application-forms/.

Groovy Soca song submissions should not exceed a tempo of 130 beats per minute (BPM), whilst Power Soca submissions must play at a tempo faster than 130 BPM. Songs must be correctly classified to qualify for the respective competitions.

The next stage of competition is Preselection, where a panel of judges will listen to the submissions and short list applicants in a closed listening session. Subsequently, qualifiers will compete live in the Quarter-Final round of competition scheduled for June 7-8, 2025. Artistes applying for the competition are asked to note the dates for the next round of competition.

The CMMC encourages all interested persons to apply for a chance to compete in this year’s festival. For more information on the 2025 Groovy and Power Soca Monarch Competition including rules and guidelines or to apply, visit www.carnivalsaintlucia.com.

The Carnival Planning and Management Committee (CPMC) in collaboration with the National Carnival Queen Pageant Committee has announced the seven (7) delegates competing in this years National Carnival Queen Pageant as part of events for Lucian Carnival 2025. The 7 delegates are:

1. Ziggy Vitalis – Beausejour, Gros Islet 
2. Ketrina Oculi – Aux Lyons, Dennery
3. Emerle Tisson – Choiseul
4. Hadassah Romulus – Lastic Hill, Castries
5. Tatiana Freitas – Bois D Orange, Gros Islet   
6. Shernia Phillip – Piaye, Choiseul
7. Kittle Symphorien – Belfond, Soufriere

Ahead of this year’s auditions, the National Carnival Queen Pageant Committee also appointed a new Committee for the 2025 Competition, comprising Trevor King – Chairperson, Patricia Calderon – Head Chaperone, Consuelo Dupal-Florent – Assistant Head Chaperone, Shan Lucien – Reigning Carnival Queen and Committee Concierge Agent, Alanis Emmanuel – Social Media PR Coordinator, and Dexter Phillips – Logistics and Production.

The delegates for this year’s competition were announced during the press launch of Lucian Carnival, held last Thursday, March 13, 2025. The delegates immediately go into training to prepare for the next phase of the Competition, the Sashing Ceremony, where they will each be assigned a sponsor for the Season.

The National Carnival Queen Pageant is set to take place on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at the Pavilion on Rodney Bay. For more information on the National Carnival Queen Pageant and other major carnival events go to www.carnivalsaintlucia.com or follow @saintluciacarnivalqueenpageant, and @carnivalsaintlucia on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.