One of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) Carnival’s most beloved flagship events is making a long-awaited comeback: Fantastic Friday, home of the International Soca Monarch competition, will return to the official Carnival calendar for 2027, event organizer Scorch Ltd confirmed in an official media release issued this week.
Founded by well-known local entrepreneur and radio personality Kwesi “Hypa Hoppa” Hopkinson, Scorch Ltd is a regional media and entertainment enterprise that has long centered Caribbean cultural celebrations in its work. In the release, the organization emphasized that International Soca Monarch has long stood as one of the most highly anticipated dates on the annual Carnival calendar, serving as a global showcase for the dynamic energy, bold creativity and electric competitive spirit that have cemented soca as a core, defining pillar of T&T’s iconic Carnival culture.
For the 2027 revival, the competition is taking on an ambitious new global framing with its official theme “Trinidad Versus the World”. This reimagined format will pit homegrown T&T soca talent against top soca and carnival-inspired performers from across the globe, a shift that reflects the genre’s rapidly expanding global footprint in recent decades. Beyond a simple talent contest, organizers note that Fantastic Friday has evolved into a signature, can’t-miss Carnival experience that draws fans and performers from every corner of the world.
The 2027 edition is poised to open an exciting new chapter for the historic competition, bringing local and international artistic talent together on a single stage to celebrate the evolution of soca. As of this announcement, full logistical details for the 2027 event – including its exact date, venue, registration rules for participating performers, and ticket information – have not yet been released. Organizers confirmed that additional official announcements will be rolled out in the coming weeks, and urged Carnival fans and prospective participants to follow the official Scorch Ltd and International Soca Monarch social media accounts (@scorch.events, @scorch.everything, and @internationalsocamonarch across all major platforms) to receive the latest updates directly.
The most recent in-person adjacent International Soca Monarch competition was held back in 2021, when the event was forced to shift to a virtual format to comply with global public health restrictions enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. That year, fan-favorite performer Farmer Nappy, born Darryl Henry, took home the top prize with his chart-topping hit “Backyard Jam”. The competition has been on hiatus since that 2021 virtual edition, making the 2027 revival a highly anticipated moment for soca fans worldwide.