Activities: Festivals
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Theatre/Drama Festivals

This is a Caribbean festival for Creative Arts with a concept to accumulate and showcase in 10 days, all the creative and artistic skills from the member countries of CARICOM. In 1972 the first CARIFESTA was held in Guyana. Today CARIFESTA can see over 30 nations participating and showing their cultural diversities through Drama, Music, Dance, Theatre, Craft, Art, Music, Fashion & Design as well as Culinary and Literary Arts.

The festival is a celebration of unity, pride and dignity of what the Caribbean people have to offer the world. It starts and ends with beautiful Parade ceremonies complimented by entertaining cultural presentations.

Contact Info
The National Cultural Foundation (NCF)
Address: West Terrace, St. James.
Tel: (246) 424-0909
For more Information: Click here

This is a twelve week celebration of Barbadian culture through folk, art, craft, music, dance masquerading & revelry. It culminates with a huge all day street carnival displaying spectacular costumes.

Period: May to August

Event Dates

The Barbados' NIFCA was introduced in 1973 to celebrate the island's Independence and as an outreach program in to the communities to develop and showcase the many aspects of Bajan culture and creative arts, through Drama, Dance, Music, Literary arts, Culinary Arts, Visual Arts, Photography and Art & Craft.

The National Independence Festival Of Creative Arts - NIFCA in Barbados is organized by the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) making it responsible for the many performances, art exhibitions and demonstrations on show.

The NCF NIFCA outreach expands into many Primary & Secondary Schools offering training, workshops and camps for all disciplines of the Arts.

Competitions usually start in September with the last four weeks of the festival used to display the talents of the finalist usually of all ages, during November the month of Independence (November 30th). Many participants compete from throughout the communities of the 12 parishes of Barbados, hoping to be successful and receive awards.

The most popular event of the festival is the Gala which ends the festival and features presentations and performances from the finalist of the competitions.

In recent years NIFCA has shown significant growth in participants, productions and crowd attendance, due to the hard work and commitment of the NCF and their outreach programs as well as giving the public productions and exhibitions of the highest standard.

So visitors and locals come out and support these Barbadians as they strive for excellence.

The Barbados Gospel Festival is considered the premier Gospel Festival of the Caribbean attracting many visitors to the island, while consistently maintaining efforts to ground the festival as a Barbadian / Caribbean festival with an international appeal, incorporating and reflecting strong elements of the cultural reality in the Caribbean. This was done by ensuring that local and Regional artistes participated and shared the stage with international acts. Opportunities were also given for the exposure and development of a wider range of artistic expression including dance and mime.

The Holder's Season in Barbados is the premier Performing Arts Festival of the Caribbean with a wonderful variety of world class performances given in one of the most beautiful & imaginable settings on the grounds of Holders House. Holders House is one of Barbados' most elegant of historic plantation houses, dating back to the 17th century. This event has become an indispensable part of the island's national calendar and one of the most important cultural events in the Caribbean. You will see and hear the best the world can offer in music and theatre.