BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — In a spectacular culmination of Carnival celebrations, Nu Vybes International Band has ended a two-decade championship drought by capturing the coveted 2025/2026 Road March title. The victory came after one of the most nail-biting competitions in recent memory, ultimately decided through an unprecedented tie-breaking procedure.
The decisive moment unfolded during an electrifying Jouvert morning that attracted massive crowds of revelers flooding the streets in support of competing bands. In a remarkable twist, the initial judging concluded in a perfect tie between Nu Vybes and Kollision Band, both achieving identical scores of 259.85 points.
The deadlock triggered the official tie-breaking protocol, beginning with an assessment of aggregate scores. When auditors confirmed both bands had achieved mathematically identical totals, the competition advanced to a second tie-breaker requiring judges to vote individually for the band delivering the superior overall performance. This final deliberation resulted in Nu Vybes being crowned champion.
National Carnival Committee Chair Shannon Hawley clarified the unprecedented situation, emphasizing that the tie-breaking criteria had been established through collaborative input from participating bands rather than unilateral NCC decision-making. ‘The road march policy and criteria were developed through collective band consensus,’ Hawley stated during the announcement.
Kollision Band secured first runner-up position with their entry ‘TMI,’ while Grand Masters claimed second runner-up honors with ‘Rock Steady,’ achieving 256.85 points.
In parallel troupe competitions, Grand Masters Addix dominated with their presentation ‘Bounce Around,’ earning 145 points. They were followed by Kollision Band’s ‘Life in Color’ (139 points) and Xtreme Nation’s ‘Ink and Dutty’ (135 points). The Large Troupe category saw Excess Jouvert triumph with 150 points for their ‘Road Work’ theme, which featured one of the day’s largest participant turnouts.
The enormous crowds created significant congestion along Fort Street, prompting officials to consider relocating future Jouvert celebrations to accommodate growing participation. Carnival festivities continue throughout the season.