As debates continue to swirl around the steepening price tags of Grand Kadooment parade costumes, hundreds of revellers who took part in Monday’s iconic street celebration say the once-in-a-lifetime experience more than justifies the expense — with many international visitors insisting every dollar spent on the festivities was well worth it.
For Zell and Ortez Hurley, the journey all the way from the United Kingdom to join Crop Over with the popular Aura Experience band was a dream come true, and the pair have nothing but glowing praise for this year’s event. Speaking exclusively to Barbados TODAY on the parade route, the couple labeled the 2024 festival an unforgettable experience that lived up to every bit of their long-held expectations. When asked about the investment they made in their festival outfits, they confirmed each custom costume cost approximately £500.
The Hurleys did not limit their Crop Over experience to just the Grand Kadooment parade, instead packing their schedule with a full slate of pre-parade activities tied to the festival calendar. “The Sundown fete was complimentary for all Aura Experience participants, we also joined the beloved breakfast fete hosted by Island Mas, and we have plans to attend Cohobblopot this coming Tuesday — Ortez has never had the chance to experience it before,” Zell Hurley shared.
While Hurley says he is eager to see the Cohobblopot show, he did admit surprise at the festival organizers’ decision to shift the event from its decades-long traditional slot on Sunday night. “For someone who grew up here on the island, this change came as quite a shock. For generations, Cohobblopot was held the night before Grand Kadooment — it gave audiences the chance to see the competing band kings and queens show off their elaborate costumes, and watch top soca royalty perform. Then you could ease into the big jump-up day on Monday. Moving it to Tuesday does change the traditional flow that leads into Kadooment Day. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t still excited to see how the new scheduling works out, we’re looking forward to it all the same,” he explained. Despite the small scheduling shake-up, Hurley emphasized that the entire festival has run seamlessly so far. “I haven’t encountered any logistical missteps or issues at all right now, the whole operation has been really well organized,” he added.
Roshae Daniel, a first-time Crop Over attendee visiting from Queens, New York who has Bajan family heritage, also pulled out all the stops for her first festival experience, purchasing a premium VIP package from Aura that cost close to $2,000 USD. “I asked a lot of people who have attended Crop Over before which band was the best to jump with, and everyone told me Aura was the top choice. It’s my first time ever coming to the festival, so I figured if you’re going to do it, you might as well go all in,” she said.
For Daniel, the hefty price tag was completely justified by the quality of the experience. “It was 100 percent worth the investment. The band provided continuous fresh food throughout the parade, they gave out amazing goodie bags filled with custom cups, useful accessories and all kinds of great extras, everything was really well thought out. I would do this whole experience a thousand times over without a second thought,” she shared.
Daniel also made sure to pack her trip with as many diverse Crop Over activities as possible ahead of Grand Kadooment, attending the popular Neon Jouvert and Sun Mas events to soak up every part of the culture. “I absolutely love the Bajan culture here, the incredible sense of community that wraps around the whole festival… it’s just so much fun,” she said with a laugh, adding “I already got to meet the artist Spice while I’ve been here, that was such a cool surprise. Fingers crossed I also get the chance to run into Rihanna while I’m on island.”
Daniel, who is staying at the Sugar Bay resort during her visit, also praised the hotel’s warm hospitality, noting that the wide variety of high-quality vegetarian dining options available exceeded all of her expectations.