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  • Misiekaba vraagt SRD 3,2 miljard extra voor hervorming gezondheidszorg

    Misiekaba vraagt SRD 3,2 miljard extra voor hervorming gezondheidszorg

    Suriname’s Minister of Health, André Misiekaba, has formally approached the country’s National Assembly to approve a SRD 3.2 billion increase to his ministry’s annual budget, a request driven by urgent unaddressed financial and operational crises plaguing the nation’s public healthcare system. The minister outlined three core priorities for the additional funding during parliamentary budget discussions, starting with resolving the persistent structural deficit plaguing the country’s Staatsziekenfonds (SZF), the national public health insurance fund. According to Misiekaba, the SZF currently faces a monthly structural funding shortfall of roughly SRD 200 million, and approximately SRD 1.8 billion in extra allocations is required by the end of 2026 to guarantee uninterrupted access to healthcare services for all insured citizens. Without this urgent injection of capital, he warned, the continuity of essential care across the country would face severe, immediate threat.

    A second major portion of the requested budget is earmarked for the Academisch Ziekenhuis Paramaribo (AZP), Suriname’s main academic hospital, which is grappling with overlapping financial and staffing crises that have directly compromised care quality. Misiekaba highlighted critical nursing shortages that have forced hospitals into unacceptable workarounds, sharing the example of the cardiology department, where male and female patients are currently housed in the same ward due to understaffing — a situation the minister described as far below acceptable care standards. Investments into AZP’s operations and staffing, he emphasized, are non-negotiable to reverse declining care quality at the country’s flagship medical facility.

    The remaining funds will support the broader government healthcare reform agenda, which spans multiple long-term and immediate improvements to the national system. Key initiatives include strengthening primary care access, upgrading regional healthcare facilities, rolling out digital health infrastructure, modernizing hospital facilities across the country, purchasing new critical medical equipment, and improving working conditions for all healthcare staff.

    A centerpiece of the reform plan is a comprehensive revaluation of the nursing profession, designed to stem the widespread brain drain of qualified nurses who leave Suriname for higher-paying roles abroad. Misiekaba has publicly backed a revised pay scale for nurses that would make the profession more financially attractive and reduce the ongoing outflow of skilled medical workers.

    “To implement all of these critical measures responsibly, an additional SRD 3.2 billion is required for the Ministry of Public Works and Health [VWA],” Misiekaba told parliament, urging representatives to approve the funding allocation. The request has already received broad support from multiple members of the National Assembly, who acknowledged that meaningful healthcare reform cannot be achieved without matching financial investment. For Misiekaba, the additional funding is not just a short-term bailout: it is a foundational investment that will boost the quality, accessibility, and long-term resilience of Suriname’s entire public healthcare system.

  • St George Primary Head Boy, in 11-plus top ten, earns QC place

    St George Primary Head Boy, in 11-plus top ten, earns QC place

    Eleven-year-old Tyriq Goddard, head boy of St George Primary School, has cemented his status as one of Barbados’ top emerging young scholars after ranking 10th overall in the 2026 Barbados Secondary Schools’ Entrance Examination, earning a coveted spot at his first-choice institution, Queen’s College. What makes Tyriq’s achievement even more notable is the steady, disciplined approach that carried him to success, with no costly extra tutoring or last-minute cramming required to reach his goal.

    Tyriq’s mother, Karen Goddard, told reporters her son’s strong work ethic was established from his earliest years of primary school, and he never deviated from that consistent routine. “From Class One, he was always a very diligent child. I didn’t put him in anything extra in terms of lessons. He would have just gone to school, paid attention in class, came home, did his homework, done any assignments that he needed to do, and that was basically it,” she explained.

    This consistent track record of solid performance left the whole family confident heading into exam day, with far more excitement than nervous energy surrounding the test. “I always had confidence that Tyriq would have done well because he has been doing well throughout his school life. I know that the outcome would not have been anything too far away from what he has been doing all along,” Karen added.

    That confidence was vindicated when results were released, and Tyriq learned he had earned a place at Queen’s College, a decision the 11-year-old made entirely on his own after researching all of Barbados’ top secondary institutions. “He looked at the booklet with the schools and what all of them offered. He browsed through the booklet and saw what each of the schools had to offer and which one resonated best with him,” Karen said. “It was more his decision rather than me putting something on him… even in terms of the sixth form, he even looked at that.”

    For Tyriq, Queen’s College stood out from other options because it balances rigorous academic programming with robust opportunities in his two favorite sports: volleyball and basketball. He added that having cousins already enrolled at the school was a nice bonus, but the strength of the school’s overall education program was the biggest draw.

    Unlike many students who face national entrance exams with overwhelming anxiety, Tyriq approached test day with a quiet, grounded calm. “I didn’t really feel anxious or excited. I just felt like I made it,” he recalled. When his top-10 result landed in his inbox, however, that calm quickly shifted to unbridled joy. “At first I had to let it process. It was a lot. Then after I just smiled and I was rejoicing and celebrating and everything,” he said. When asked about his first reaction after learning he earned a spot at Queen’s College, he laughed: “I ran up and down the house and screamed, telling everybody.”

    The family celebrated the milestone the same evening with a special dinner out, and Tyriq’s success comes as no surprise to anyone who knows the young scholar. Beyond his role as head boy, he has compiled an impressive record of academic and extracurricular achievement throughout his primary school career: he placed first in an inter-primary school diabetes education competition, claimed a board prize at a regional chess tournament after winning all five of his matches, finished fourth in a national mental mathematics competition, and took first place in the Lions language arts competition.

    Karen Goddard credits not just her son’s hard work, but also the consistent support he received from the entire staff at St George Primary School. “The teachers at the school, they’re very good and supportive. I must commend them as well,” she said.

    As Tyriq prepares to start his secondary education at Queen’s College this coming September, he said he will miss the close community of his primary school, but is eager to start the next chapter of his academic journey. A number of his close primary school classmates will be joining him at Queen’s College, and he has plans to stay connected to the peers and teachers he is leaving behind. “The teachers and the principals and the helpers, I would always come back to school and see them. So it’s not really devastating to me. I’m so happy I made the most of them,” he said.

    Reflecting on her son’s success, Karen noted that Tyriq’s achievement is proof that consistent hard work over time pays off, saying: “A number of these children have been consistently doing well and the results at the end of the day really show, they show.”

  • Premier Brantley’s Monthly Press Conference Scheduled for June 30

    Premier Brantley’s Monthly Press Conference Scheduled for June 30

    CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – June 16, 2026 – The Nevis Island Administration (NIA) has announced that Honourable Mark Brantley, Nevis’ Premier and Minister of Government Information, will host his scheduled monthly press conference on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, starting at 10:00 a.m. local time.

    The official briefing will be held at the NIA Cabinet Room, which occupies the second floor of the Social Security Building at Pinney’s Estate. This regular public-facing event gives the island’s top elected official a platform to address pressing matters of public concern across Nevis, share the latest progress updates on the NIA’s ongoing core priorities and key policy initiatives, and open the floor for questions from working journalists in attendance.

    To ensure broad public access for residents unable to attend in person, the entire press conference will be streamed and broadcast live across multiple media platforms. These include traditional linear broadcast channels Nevis Television (NTv) Channel 99, Voice of Nevis (VON) Radio, Freedom FM, and WINN FM, as well as digital outlets: NevisTvOnline.com, the NTv Go mobile application, the official Nevis Television Facebook page, and the Nevis Newscast YouTube channel.

    The NIA has extended an open invitation to all professional media representatives to attend the in-person event, and is encouraging all members of the Nevis public to tune into their preferred platform to receive accurate, timely updates on issues that directly impact the island community.

    This announcement was distributed via official press release by the NIA, and originally published by SKNVibes.com, which notes that the content was run in its original submitted form without editorial alterations to spelling or grammar, and that the views shared in the release do not necessarily reflect the positions of SKNVibes.com, its sponsors, or its advertising partners.

  • CARICOM SG, Secretariat officials engage with honorary diplomats ahead of International Day for Women in Diplomacy

    CARICOM SG, Secretariat officials engage with honorary diplomats ahead of International Day for Women in Diplomacy

    Ahead of the 2026 International Day for Women in Diplomacy, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary-General Dr. Carla Barnett welcomed a cohort of 12 young women to the organization’s headquarters in Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana on June 23 for a dedicated engagement session as part of the annual “Diplomat for a Day” initiative.

    Hosted locally by Guyana’s The Imperial House, the program is designed to open doors for young Guyanese women to gain hands-on insight into diplomatic work by giving them the chance to shadow heads of diplomatic missions. This year’s iteration drew participants aged 17 to 30 from across the country, including students from local secondary schools, the University of Guyana, and early-career professionals from Guyana’s public sector agencies. The initiative received backing from multiple regional and international diplomatic bodies, including the High Commission of Belize, the High Commission of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the Embassy of Suriname, the Embassy of Mexico, and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture.

    During their afternoon meeting with Dr. Barnett and other senior CARICOM officials, the young participants held open conversations about the role of women in diplomatic careers. The senior leaders shared personal anecdotes and lessons from their own professional trajectories, giving the emerging leaders a raw, firsthand look at life in multilateral diplomacy. Beyond the leadership discussion, the group also took part in specialized informational sessions tailored to their interests. Michele Small-Bartley, CARICOM’s Programme Manager for Youth Development, walked the participants through regional youth-focused opportunities, most notably the CARICOM Young Professionals Programme, which creates pathways for early-career professionals to work within the community’s institutions. Later, Gladys Young, Director of the CARICOM Single Market, led an interactive session breaking down the structure and goals of the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, helping the young diplomats understand the core economic integration work that anchors the community. The visit concluded with a guided educational tour of the CARICOM Secretariat campus to familiarize the group with the organization’s day-to-day operations.

    The young honorary diplomats were accompanied on the visit by Her Excellency Gale Miller-Garnett, High Commissioner of Belize to Guyana, and Wasim Khan, Executive Director of The Imperial House, which organizes the program.

    The International Day for Women in Diplomacy, marked annually on June 24, has a clear tie to Guyana’s own diplomatic leadership. The global observance was first established in 2022 during the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, through a UN resolution co-sponsored by Guyana, creating a formal global recognition of women’s underrepresented contributions to international diplomacy and peacebuilding.

  • New CVQ pathway opens for PTFTC-TCL grads

    New CVQ pathway opens for PTFTC-TCL grads

    Barbados’ Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Council has announced a major upgrade to the long-running Preparing Today for Tomorrow’s Challenges, Transforming Children’s Lives (PTFTC-TCL) initiative, announcing that all new participants enrolling in the programme starting this September will earn formal certification recognized under Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) regional standards. The announcement was made by Akil Thompson, the TVET Council’s technical officer for programme development, during the programme’s 10th anniversary recognition ceremony held at Sandals Royal Barbados, where Thompson addressed more than 300 attending students.

    Prior to this policy shift, programme completers only received a general certificate of participation. Under the updated framework, all new enrollees will complete formal competency assessments aligned with both national and regional occupational and employability standards, in addition to building structured professional portfolios to document their learning, skill growth and ongoing professional development. Thompson emphasized that this alignment transforms the soft skills students gain in the programme — including personal branding, business etiquette and interpersonal communication — into a tangible, resume-ready credential that holds formal recognition across the Caribbean region.

    CVQs are standardized credentials validated by the CARICOM regional bloc, designed to confirm that candidates demonstrate the skills and knowledge required to meet established regional occupational standards. One of the key benefits of regional CVQ recognition is its role in facilitating the free movement of skilled labor across CARICOM member states. Thompson explained that workers holding a valid CVQ can cut through much of the bureaucratic red tape and regulatory barriers that often slow professional relocation when pursuing job opportunities in other Caribbean countries.

    The new certification falls under the TVET Council’s Core Skills qualification framework, which outlines six foundational competencies split into core and wider skill categories. The three core competencies include communication, application of numerical concepts, and information and communication technology (ICT) literacy. The three wider, transferable competencies are problem-solving, collaborative teamwork, and ongoing self-directed knowledge and skill development. Under the new framework, PTFTC-TCL participants will earn certification for specific competency levels: working with others at Levels 2 and 3, communication at Levels 1 and 2, and problem-solving at Levels 1 and 2.

    Thompson noted that while the TVET sector commonly labels these foundational competencies as “employability skills,” their value extends far beyond helping graduates secure jobs. “These are skills for life,” he stated, underlining that the updated programme will not only boost participants’ employment prospects but also equip them with long-term tools for personal and professional success across all areas of life. The TVET Council has collaborated closely with PTFTC-TCL programme coordinators throughout the upgrade process to bring the initiative in line with regional standards, marking a significant milestone in the programme’s 10-year history of transforming children’s and young people’s outcomes in Barbados.

  • Lucy’s Straw Hat: A mirror held up to our society

    Lucy’s Straw Hat: A mirror held up to our society

    When we talk about transformative theatrical work that does more than entertain, *Lucy’s Straw Hat* immediately rises to the top of the conversation. Far from being just a night of stage performance, this production from the Heritage Theatre Company acts as a piercing mirror held up to modern society, laying bare the full spectrum of human experience: our deepest flaws, raw grief, quiet resilience, and unshakable hope for what comes next.

    Penned and helmed by Chris DeRiggs, a veteran creative whose decades of work have long inspired contributor Adrian Harford (who is also DeRiggs’ nephew), *Lucy’s Straw Hat* carves out a unique place among the playwright’s already impressive body of work. Where many stage productions aim only to delight audiences for a couple of hours, this production reaches past the fourth wall, tugs at the soul, and invites viewers to sit with uncomfortable, unaddressed truths that are too often pushed to the side of public conversation. From the first table read, Harford notes, the emotional weight of the script was palpable – a rising tide that never recedes, even after the final curtain falls. DeRiggs’ storytelling pushes far past the limits of conventional narrative, delivering a work that lands with a deeply personal, resonant impact for every audience member.

    At the core of the story is the tragic final voyage of the MV Island Queen, a historical event that DeRiggs weaves into a sweeping exploration of interconnected human themes. As audiences follow the narrative, they are pushed to grapple with layered questions: What does family obligation really mean? Do we ever truly get a second chance to right our wrongs? What responsibility do governments and media outlets hold when disaster strikes? Beyond these public questions, the play digs into intimate themes too: the gap between what we say and what we mean, the meaning of enduring love, the consequences of cutting corners on safety, and the freedom that only forgiveness can unlock.

    What makes the production particularly immersive is its ability to turn the stage itself into a living, breathing character. The performance space transforms into a rolling ocean, carrying audiences through swells of grief, periods of quiet reflection, and moments of bright, enduring hope. Every scene unfolds with intentional softness that makes its ultimate impact hit harder, every line of dialogue lingers in the mind long after it is spoken, and every performance from the cast sparks conversations that will continue to develop among viewers long after they leave the theater.

    As a member of the Heritage Theatre Company himself, Harford extends gratitude to every person who contributed to bringing the production to life. He praises the cast for turning written dialogue into vivid, lasting memories; the backstage crew, the unsung architects who craft theatrical magic out of sight and out of mind; the front-of-house team, who greet every guest with warmth and hospitality; and the entire extended Heritage company family for their collective work to make the vision a reality.

    For Harford, Heritage Theatre Company is far more than just a group of artists putting on plays. It is a living, beating heart for cultural preservation, a steady lighthouse cutting through the fog of collective forgetfulness to guard important stories for future generations. The company’s work reminds us that culture is not a dusty relic to be locked away in an archive, but a living, warm flame that must be carried forward and passed from one generation to the next.

    In closing, Harford offers a hopeful wish for the production: that *Lucy’s Straw Hat* remains a timeless, impactful work forever etched into the collective memory of everyone who experiences it. He offers congratulations to his uncle Chris and the entire Heritage team, emphasizing that when the company takes the stage, forgotten history finds its voice again. Long live the work of Heritage Theatre Company, he writes – one love.

    *Disclaimer: NOW Grenada holds no responsibility for opinions, statements, and content shared by contributing writers. To report abusive content, please follow the official reporting channel on the site.*

  • Notities uit de behandelkamer: De regen kwam onverwacht

    Notities uit de behandelkamer: De regen kwam onverwacht

    The annual rainy season in Suriname is no unforeseen event. Every student learns about the country’s distinct seasonal patterns in school, the national Meteorological Service issues advance warnings, and even long-time residents mentally prepare for wet conditions months ahead. Yet year after year, when the heavy downpours arrive, the widespread chaos they trigger still catches communities off guard. As a healthcare worker working in a local clinic, these disruptions are visible from the very start of the rainy season. Patients cancel appointments or fail to show up entirely because their yards and homes are submerged under floodwater. Others arrive hours late after impassable roads forced them to abandon their vehicles halfway to the facility. Temporary parking lots turn into makeshift ponds, turning what should be a quick trip to the hospital into an unexpected, logistically challenging expedition. Even routine procedures such as blood draws become unnecessarily complicated. Access roads to off-site testing laboratories are frequently rendered unusable, and some collection sites face flooding themselves. What was supposed to be a standard check-up gets pushed back not out of patient negligence, but simply because reaching the care facility has become impossible. The impact of unmanaged flooding stretches far beyond the healthcare sector, however. Flooded homes leave residents with water-damaged furniture, destroyed electrical appliances, and the unplanned burden of cleaning and rebuilding. For households already struggling to make ends meet, these unexpected repair costs push budgets even further out of balance, leaving a costly bill the rainy season leaves behind that many cannot afford. Food prices for fresh vegetables and other staple groceries have also spiked in the wake of repeated flooding. For many Surinamese families, accessing affordable nutritious food was already a major challenge; seasonal flooding only makes that burden much heavier. On top of economic strains, flood conditions create ideal breeding grounds for a range of health hazards. Standing water is the perfect environment for mosquito breeding, driving up the risk of mosquito-borne diseases across affected communities. Floodwater also increases exposure to dangerous infections such as Weil’s disease, which spreads when people come into contact with water contaminated by rat urine. To add to the list of problems, the rising floodwaters drive unwanted wildlife — including rats, cockroaches, and even snakes — out of their natural habitats and into dry residential homes, turning living spaces into unexpected refuges for displaced wildlife. It is important to acknowledge that individual residents bear some responsibility for reducing flood risk. Improper disposal of waste in drainage trenches and canals is a common contributor to blockages, and unkempt residential yards can make flooding worse. A clogged drainage system can often trace its origin back to a single plastic bottle or plastic bag discarded carelessly. But individual responsibility is only one piece of the puzzle. Building and maintaining a flood-resilient Suriname is first and foremost a public responsibility. The government bears the core duty of ensuring routine maintenance of drainage canals, sewer systems, and other flood management infrastructure. This work should not wait until streets are already submerged; it needs to happen long before the first heavy rains of the season arrive. As the old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure — and this principle applies as much to public governance as it does to healthcare. As a physician, I would far rather prevent high blood pressure than treat the life-threatening complications that result from uncontrolled disease. I would rather manage diabetes early to prevent kidney failure than intervene after irreversible damage has been done. Prevention requires advance planning, consistent ongoing maintenance, and sometimes upfront investments whose benefits only become visible years down the line. Flood management works exactly the same way. A well-maintained, fully functional drainage system rarely makes headline news. But a flooded residential neighborhood does. This may be the core challenge we face. Too often, governments and communities only invest in infrastructure after a crisis has already developed and become visible to the public. But effective governance, just like effective healthcare, centers on stopping problems before they ever start. The rainy season was never unexpected. Only our preparation for it was.

  • TAG Building Men Session – July 05, 2026

    TAG Building Men Session – July 05, 2026

    A new community development initiative aimed at supporting young male growth has announced its upcoming session, open to adolescents and young adults across the region. Organized by the Turn Around Agenda (TAG) under its Building Men program, the event is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 5, 2026, kicking off at 4:30 p.m. local time.

    The session, which targets young people between the ages of 11 and 21, will be hosted at Antioch Baptist Church, located within the Lime Kiln Commercial Development area. Organizers confirmed that all eligible young men within the target age range are welcome to attend the session, which is designed to foster personal development, skill-building, and community connection for participants. The official notice of the event was first published on Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 7:48 p.m., giving interested attendees and their families more than a week to plan for participation.

  • Jamaica Opposition Legislator Urges Special Minimum Wage for Tourism Workers

    Jamaica Opposition Legislator Urges Special Minimum Wage for Tourism Workers

    During a Tuesday sitting of Jamaica’s parliament, opposition legislator Damion Crawford has called on the national government to carve out a separate, special minimum wage for workers in the country’s critical tourism sector, arguing that the unique demands and working conditions of the industry justify targeted policy action.

    Crawford framed the proposal as a core component of equitable national development, noting that tourism stands as one of Jamaica’s largest GDP contributors and foreign exchange earners. The call comes just after the country’s Lower House passed an order to raise the general national minimum wage by JMD $1,000, lifting the weekly 40-hour workweek rate from $16,000 to $17,000. This general increase is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, but Crawford says tourism workers deserve additional, tailored consideration that the general adjustment does not provide.

    In his address to parliament, Crawford outlined a series of distinct financial and professional burdens that fall disproportionately on tourism employees across the country. Unlike many general workers, tourism staff often face irregular, unpredictable shift schedules that regularly extend into late-night or early-morning hours—periods when commuting is not only higher risk, but also more costly, he explained. Additionally, most major tourism hubs across Jamaica carry significantly higher cost of living for local residents, a market reality that pushes up daily expenses for workers without any corresponding adjustment to their base pay.

    Beyond tangible financial burdens, Crawford also highlighted the largely uncompensated emotional labour that is a core requirement of most tourism roles, a factor he said is rarely accounted for in industry wage structures. “One of the number one reasons for burnout in the hotel sector is emotional labour,” he noted, explaining that workers are often required to maintain a constant friendly demeanor even when faced with customer disrespect, and must prioritize guest needs over their own basic needs like eating on schedule.

    This is not the first time wage disparities for Jamaican tourism workers have sparked public attention. Just two years ago, widespread industry protests erupted driven by anger over persistently low pay and widespread job insecurity across the hotel sector. At the time, one hotel maintenance worker interviewed by *The Jamaica Gleaner* reported earning an average of just $37,000 per fortnight, and joined other workers in calling for legislative changes to lift industry-wide remuneration standards.

  • Soca Power to Ignite Opening Night of St. Kitts Music Festival

    Soca Power to Ignite Opening Night of St. Kitts Music Festival

    BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – The Caribbean’s longest-running and most anticipated annual music celebration, the 28th St. Kitts Music Festival, officially launched its three-day run on the evening of June 25, 2026, with opening night dedicated entirely to the infectious, high-energy rhythms of soca music. A curated lineup of top-tier local, regional, and international soca talent is set to open the festival with the iconic vibrant “Jump Up” energy that has become a beloved tradition for the event’s opening night.

    This year’s opening night roster features some of the biggest global names in soca, headlined by Trinidad and Tobago’s international soca superstar Voice, and the legendary “King of Soca” Machel Montano. Sharing the stage with these globally recognized acts is St. Kitts’ own homegrown soca powerhouse Rucas H.E., who organizers and fans alike expect to deliver an electrifying, crowd-pleasing set that highlights the nation’s local musical talent.

    As one of the Caribbean’s most prestigious annual music events, festival organizers are projecting a strong, engaging opening to this year’s gathering. Beyond showcasing world-class soca music, the festival carries key economic value for St. Kitts, with tourism officials projecting it will drive a significant boost in visitor arrivals during what is typically a slower off-peak season for the local tourism industry.

    T’Vanna Wharton, Permanent Secretary of St. Kitts’ Ministry of Tourism, publicly praised the collaborative work of the Ministry of Tourism and St. Kitts Tourism Authority teams to pull off the world-class event. She emphasized that the festival serves as a powerful demonstration of the small island nation’s global ambitions, noting that despite the Federation’s small geographic size, its vision for cultural and tourism leadership is expansive. “The St. Kitts Music Festival tells the world that although we are a small nation, our vision is large. We can stand on the stage with the best in the world and hold our own. We can welcome guests from every corner of the globe and make them genuinely feel that there is nowhere else they would rather be,” Wharton stated in her remarks.

    During a pre-festival press conference held at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort, multiple headline artists shared their excitement about returning to the St. Kitts stage, promising attendees unforgettable, high-energy performances that honor soca’s vibrant cultural roots.

    To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all attendees, local law enforcement has outlined clear public safety protocols for the festival venue at Warner Park Cricket Stadium. Assistant Commissioner of Police Travis Rogers urged all patrons to leave all weapons—including legally licensed firearms—at home, clarifying that even license holders will not be allowed to bring weapons into the venue, and any prohibited firearms discovered at entry will be seized by authorities.

    Outlining other venue rules, Rogers shared that attendees will be permitted to bring a maximum of five pre-rolled cannabis joints into the stadium, in line with local recreational cannabis regulations. However, a number of items remain strictly prohibited, including flammable liquids, full-face masks, and air horns. “We just want a peaceful festival and ensure that everybody is safe,” Rogers explained of the security measures.

    The 2026 St. Kitts Music Festival will run through June 27 at the Warner Park Cricket Stadium, bringing three straight nights of world-class music to attendees from across the globe.