ST. JOHN’S, Antigua and Barbua – August 26, 2026 – As the Caribbean nation prepares to welcome global leaders for the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda has issued a formal public appeal asking event organizers and industry stakeholders to adjust their plans for the end of October and early November. The law enforcement agency is calling on promoters, entertainment planners, and other event hosts to reschedule any large-scale gatherings currently slated to run between October 30 and November 5, the official dates of the upcoming high-profile summit.
CHOGM, which brings together heads of government from across the Commonwealth bloc, will require a sweeping national security operation to protect all attendees and the general public. To deliver this safety mandate, a large share of the Royal Police Force’s personnel and critical security resources will be reassigned to CHOGM-specific duty for the duration of the event. Even with this rediversion of resources, the force remains obligated to uphold its core day-to-day responsibilities: continuing regular crime prevention work and maintaining essential community policing services across both Antigua and Barbuda.
Against this resource allocation challenge, police administration is strongly encouraging organizers to hold off on submitting new permit applications for large entertainment and major public events during the CHOGM window. For events that have already been planned, officials are asking stakeholders to defer these gatherings to dates outside the October 30 to November 5 period wherever possible.
In issuing the appeal, police leadership emphasized that they recognize the outsized social and economic contribution the events and entertainment sector makes to Antigua and Barbuda, and expressed gratitude in advance for the cooperation, flexibility and understanding expected from organizers, promoters and the general public as the nation hosts this landmark international gathering.