This weekend, downtown St. John’s will pulse with the distinctive, rhythmic sounds of Caribbean steelpan music, as the Antigua and Barbuda Festivals Commission hosts Pan in the City – a pre-Panorama preview event celebrating the nation’s most iconic cultural art form. Slated to begin at 3 p.m. on Saturday, the open-to-public gathering will take place outside the State Insurance Company Ltd. building along Redcliffe Street, staged in partnership with the local insurance firm as part of the lead-up to Antigua and Barbuda’s 2026 Carnival celebrations.
One of the event’s most meaningful moments will be a formal cheque presentation, where the Antigua and Barbuda Festivals Commission will hand over a new sponsorship grant to the Antigua and Barbuda Pan Association. According to event organizers, the contribution is far more than a one-time donation: it represents the commission’s ongoing commitment to nurturing steelpan music growth and strengthening the country’s entire creative cultural sector.
Attendees will also hear opening remarks from Dwayne George, the government minister overseeing Carnival and the nation’s creative industries, before the day’s main performances get underway. Nine of the country’s top steel orchestras are lined up to take the stage, giving audience members an exclusive early look at the acts that will compete in this year’s official Panorama competition. The full roster of participating bands includes Hell’s Gate Steel Orchestra, Halcyon Steel Orchestra, Westside Symphony, Original Steel Orchestra, Ebonites Steel Orchestra, Pandemonium Steel Orchestra, Panche Steel Orchestra, Harmonites Steel Orchestra and Gemonites Steel Orchestra.
A host of distinguished special guests will also be in attendance, including board and leadership members of the Antigua and Barbuda Festivals Commission, the reigning Antigua and Barbuda Carnival Queen, contestants vying for the 2026 Carnival Queen title, and competitors in the ECAB Mr. and Miss Teenage Pageant.
Organizers note that the event was developed with two core goals in mind: first, to build early hype and public excitement ahead of the official Panorama competition, and second, to bring the beloved traditional sound of steelpan directly into the central commercial and cultural heart of the nation’s capital. As Antigua and Barbuda continues final preparations for its iconic annual summer Carnival, Pan in the City is projected to draw crowds of passionate steelband fans, committed Carnival followers, and casual visitors to St. John’s alike.