Antigua and Barbuda’s state-owned public media outlet ABS Television/Radio has delivered an unexpected blow to local Carnival fans, announcing Tuesday that it will abandon plans to air live coverage of the 2026 Antigua Carnival after being ordered to impose a mandatory 24-hour waiting period on all event broadcasts.
In an official public programming notice shared this week, the broadcaster confirmed that the mandate is a binding requirement outside of its operational ability to challenge or change. “ABS has received an order – ‘Mandatory 24-Hour Delay Rebroadcasting of Antigua Carnival 2026 Shows.’ This is outside our control and we regret any inconvenience which this may cause,” the official statement reads.
Notably, ABS has declined to release further details surrounding the order, leaving key questions unanswered for audiences and industry observers alike. The outlet has not identified what individual or governing body issued the mandate, nor has it shared any public explanation for why the delay requirement was put in place. As a consequence of the order, all 2026 Antigua Carnival content that was scheduled to air on ABS’ television and radio platforms will now be broadcast 24 hours after the live events conclude, rather than being streamed or aired in real time.
The decision marks an unusual break from longstanding Carnival broadcasting practices, where live coverage allows local residents unable to attend events in person and Caribbean diaspora communities around the world to follow the annual celebration as it unfolds. While no official rationale has been put forward for the mandate, the change has already sparked discussion among audiences about access to one of Antigua’s biggest annual cultural and tourist events.