After six long years absent from Barbados’ iconic Crop Over festival calendar, the Banks Party Monarch Finals powered by HITZ 106.7 FM made its triumphant return to the National Botanical Gardens on Sunday evening. Despite overcast skies and constant threats of heavy rain, thousands of die-hard soca music fans poured through the venue gates starting at 2 p.m. — two hours ahead of the official performance start — armed with umbrellas, folding chairs, and unwavering enthusiasm to witness the island’s top talent compete for the sport’s most coveted monarch titles.
The evening’s festivities opened with the Sweet Soca Monarch segment, which featured eight competing artistes pulling out all the stops to win over the crowd and judges. Mr Blood kicked off the competition with his track *Crop Over Forever*, setting a lively tone for the night, followed by Saddis with *Skyfall*, Aza with *Soca Heaven*, Khiomal with *Back To When*, Ross with *Come And Go*, and the duo SugahRhe and Freshie with *Show Me Uh Motion*. When the seventh performer, veteran soca artist Mikey Mercer, took the stage with his entry *Real Feters*, he instantly turned the venue into one massive street party. Drawing on more than 30 years of experience in the industry, Mercer’s raw passion and innate ability to connect with the audience had the entire crowd singing along word for word, cementing his status as the segment’s frontrunner from the first note. Skung Yung closed out the Sweet Soca round with *Chemistry* around 5:30 p.m., with the threatened rain never materializing to interrupt the celebrations.
The second half of the night brought the high-energy Power Soca competition, which also featured eight performers vying for the title and its $100,000 grand prize. Shanta Price opened the segment with *Festival Calling*, leaning into traditional Crop Over pageantry with stilt walkers and iconic Mother Sally characters to set the festive mood. Mercer followed as the second performer with his entry *Like Ah Bajan*, and immediately locked in the crowd’s support. Clad in Barbados’ national colors, he sparked a wave of patriotic pride, with attendees chanting the country’s area code “246!” in unison throughout his opening. The veteran performer commanded the stage with a presence that few could match, once again positioning him as the clear favorite for the title.
Other standout performances from the Power Soca round included soca icon Lil Rick’s polished delivery of *Best Ting*, which demonstrated exactly why he has remained a beloved fixture of Barbadian soca for more than 30 decades, earning sing-alongs from end to end of the grounds. Nikita brought theatrical flair to the stage with *Extraordinary*, opening with a gaming-inspired introduction before arriving on an all-terrain vehicle and transforming mid-performance from a sleek silver pantsuit into a vibrant, shaggy costume. Mr Blood took the stage with *Include Me*, while Walkes brought high-octane energy to *Roadway* alongside motorcycle props, a live drum segment, and widespread crowd participation. Shaquille GFG delivered an emotional set with *After All*, dedicating his performance to late supporters including two prominent deejays and his own father, before being joined on stage by Vincentian star Skinny Fabulous for a surprise guest appearance. Roof Deck Symphony closed out the competitive segment with a lively performance of *Pass De Glass*, arriving in matching bartender costumes to cap off the night’s performances.
When the judges tallied their scores, the night belonged unequivocally to Mikey Mercer: the soca veteran earned a perfect 100 points in both the Sweet Soca and Power Soca segments, claiming a rare double victory that solidified his dominance of the 2024 Crop Over season. In an emotional address to the crowd immediately after the announcement, Mercer thanked fans for their unwavering support, telling the audience “I love wunna bad, bad, bad, bad.” Speaking to reporters later, he described the historic win as an overwhelming moment, and dedicated the achievement to his mother.
Mercer explained that his 2024 campaign required months of intense preparation, including rigorous training, endless rehearsals, and full commitment from his entire team. While he entered the competition with the goal of winning, he emphasized that he never took a victory for granted. “My aim is that when they come off stage, they can say, ‘I did my best,’ and I did my best at each performance,” he noted. The veteran also praised the competition’s mix of seasoned stars and emerging young talent, saying that healthy competition pushes all artistes to grow and continues to strengthen Barbados’ thriving soca ecosystem. With a combined $200,000 in prize money from his two wins, Mercer shared that his first priorities are supporting his mother, expanding his ongoing charitable work, and growing his personal Reunion brand.
Full competition results confirmed Mercer’s historic sweep: in Sweet Soca, Mr Blood took second place with 68 points for *Crop Over Forever*, Khiomal earned third place with 61 points for *Back To When*, and Ross placed fourth with 52 points for *Come And Go*. In the Power Soca category, Shaquille GFG took second place with 75 points for *After All*, Lil Rick earned third with 62 points for *Best Ting*, and Nikita placed fourth with 55 points for *Extraordinary*.