Trinidad Carnival: How to Play Mas
The Greatest Show on Earth happens every year in Port of Spain. Here is the no-nonsense MasLife World TV playbook for first-timers and returning revellers.
1. Pick a mas band
Your band is your home for Carnival Monday and Tuesday. Bigger bands like Tribe, Yuma, Harts, Lost Tribe, and Bliss offer all-inclusive packages with drinks, food, security, mobile bars, music trucks, and premium sections. Smaller bands give a more intimate experience and traditional mas presentation.
2. Costume registration
Most bands launch costumes between June and August for the following Carnival. Top sections sell out within minutes — register an account on the band's site early, line up payment, and be ready the moment the launch goes live. A 50% deposit usually secures the costume; the balance is due in the new year.
3. The fete calendar
Carnival is more than two days. The fete season ramps up from Boxing Day onward. Plan for at least one all-inclusive (Beach House, Vale Vibe, Soaka, Brian Lara's, Caesar's Army AM Bush), one cooler fete, and J'Ouvert on Carnival Monday morning.
4. J'Ouvert
From 4am Monday morning, paint, mud, oil, and chocolate take over the streets behind a music truck. Wear clothes you will throw out. Bands like 3Canal, Red Ants, Chocolate City, and Cocoa Devils run the most popular J'Ouvert sections.
5. Carnival Monday and Tuesday
Monday is a relaxed "pretty mas" warm-up in partial costume. Tuesday is the main event — full costume, parade of the bands across the major stages including the Queen's Park Savannah. Hydrate, eat, and pace yourself across both days.
Watch Trinidad Carnival videos
See the latest mas, fetes, and J'Ouvert moments on the MasLife World TV feed.