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  • Merchants fret as ‘the bridge in Bridgetown’ closed to pedestrians

    Merchants fret as ‘the bridge in Bridgetown’ closed to pedestrians

    In the heart of Bridgetown, Barbados, a 150-year-old historic infrastructure landmark is triggering growing financial strain for local retailers and food service operators, multiple business proprietors have confirmed to local outlet Barbados TODAY. The structure in question is Chamberlain Bridge, better known to locals as the Swing Bridge – a key pedestrian link connecting the lower Careenage district to Bridgetown’s southern commercial hub, currently managed by state-owned Barbados Port Inc. (BPI).

    In a recent operational shift that has upended daily movement across the city center, BPI has implemented a fixed schedule that closes the bridge to foot traffic for extended blocks throughout the day, with no set end date for the new restrictions. Notices posted at both ends of the converted lift bridge outline the staggered operating routine: the bridge is raised for marine traffic between 5 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., 10:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Pedestrians are only permitted to cross during three windows: 8:30 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., and 6 p.m. to 5 a.m. the following day.

    For business owners along Lower Bay Street, the restricted access has already translated to a measurable drop in foot traffic and revenue, with the midday lunch rush hit hardest. Many regular patrons who travel from the other side of the Careenage for midday meals and errands are opting to stay away rather than take the long detour around the waterway, owners report. “Some people across town who come over the bridge for lunch complain that walking all the way around is too much,” shared one local restaurant owner. “It is definitely affecting my business.” The proprietor added that office and bank workers from nearby districts – once a consistent core customer base – are among those skipping the trip entirely.

    Navin, operator of Bhairav Variety Store, echoed those frustrations, noting that inconsistent adherence to the published schedule has made the problem even worse. “I am losing business and people who depend on me are inconvenienced,” he said. “The bridge says it is open at a certain time, but when you get there, it is not open. It has happened many times.” That unpredictability, he explained, has deterred even committed regulars from attempting to cross. “When people go there expecting it to open and it does not, they have to walk all the way around. That is not how business works. They need to organise it better so that when they say it will open, it opens.”

    Reactions from everyday pedestrians to the new schedule have been split, with some dismissing the disruption as a minor hassle and others describing it as a major break from daily routine. A Jamaican visitor to the island said the unexpected closure extended her travel plans during a recent trip, calling the change “an inconvenience.” For daily commuter Astor Whitehall, however, the longer walk is no cause for complaint: “It doesn’t matter to me — the exercise is good,” he said.

    Another regular user acknowledged that the operational change may serve a practical purpose, but argued that the impact on ordinary Bridgetown residents has been underplayed. “For the most part, it will be an inconvenience for ordinary people,” he said. Samantha Yearwood, who crosses the bridge every day for work, said the new rules have completely upended her commute. “It is an inconvenience because I now have to go around the other side to get to work,” she explained.

    Elderly pedestrian Frederick Young struck a more conciliatory tone, noting that the restrictions could be justified if they address critical infrastructure needs. “If there is a good reason, I don’t see anything wrong with the time limits,” he said.

    As of press time, senior BPI officials have not responded to requests for comment on the new schedule or the concerns raised by local business owners.

    Chamberlain Bridge carries deep historical roots for Bridgetown – the city takes its name from the original Indian Bridge that stood on the same site, with the current structure constructed between 1865 and 1867. For more than a century, it accommodated both vehicles and pedestrians, with operators manually swinging the span open to allow schooners to access the Inner Basin. Small fishing vessels could even pass beneath the closed span when mooring in the basin. By the 1990s, age and wear left the original swing mechanism unreliable, with engineers warning that the bridge could get stuck open if activated. It was closed to vehicle traffic for years, before undergoing a conversion to a lift bridge in 2006 that preserved its function as a key pedestrian crossing.

  • Opposition senator demands work permit overhaul

    Opposition senator demands work permit overhaul

    Debate over Barbados’ labor market policies has intensified in the Senate, with opposition Senator Ryan Walters pushing for sweeping changes to the country’s work permit framework, alongside stricter enforcement of national insurance rules and progress on resolving a years-long backlog in employment dispute hearings.

    Speaking during Wednesday’s Senate consideration of the Protection of Wages Bill, Walters argued that a growing number of entry-level to mid-tier roles currently being advertised to foreign workers could and should be filled by local job seekers, especially young Barbadians entering the workforce. He pointed to recent public job postings as evidence of systemic flaws in the current regime, listing roles ranging from retail store supervisors, warehouse clerks and sales associates to cellphone device repair technicians, all of which have been advertised for foreign applicants. Even senior leadership positions within the island’s key hotel sector, he added, are frequently being opened to outside candidates ahead of qualified local workers.

    “What we are seeing in public job postings makes clear that employers are consistently looking abroad for work that Barbadians – particularly young Barbadians – are fully capable of doing,” Walters said. “This is the perfect moment for the government to overhaul our outdated work permit system. It is unacceptable that in 2026, we still see this volume of work permit applications for these skill sets and entry-level roles.”

    Walters called for fundamental changes to the approval process, arguing new guardrails need to be put in place before employers even submit applications to hire foreign workers. He proposed pre-application guidance that would clearly outline which roles are eligible for outside hiring and which must be filled by local candidates first, tightening the entire regime to prioritize Barbadian workers.

    But Leader of Government Business Senator Lisa Cummins pushed back against Walters’ criticism, noting that the current system already includes rigorous assessment protocols that do not guarantee approval for every submitted application. She explained that all work permit requests are reviewed by a dedicated government department, and both current and former home affairs ministers – under whose purview the immigration department falls – have repeatedly clarified that a high number of applications does not equal a high number of approvals.

    Cummins argued that claims tying open work permit policies to blocked job opportunities for young Barbadians are misleading and factually incorrect. “It is erroneous to claim that the government is blocking young Barbadians from employment just because work permit applications are submitted,” she said. “There has been no public accounting of how many of these applications are actually approved, and submission does not mean applications are automatically granted.”

    Beyond the work permit debate, Walters raised two additional pressing labor issues that he said demand immediate government action. First, he called for aggressive enforcement against employers that fail to register their workers with the National Insurance and Social Security Scheme. Walters explained that while unregistered workers may take home slightly more pay in the short term, they are locked out of critical long-term benefits, forcing them to rely on taxpayer-funded welfare services instead of drawing from the national insurance system they have not contributed to.

    “Every worker in this country should be contributing to National Insurance, regardless of their income level,” he said. “Weak enforcement hurts workers in the long run and shifts the burden of support to the state.”

    Walters also drew attention to a backlog of roughly 3,000 unresolved employment disputes at the Employment Rights Tribunal, saying thousands of workers have waited years for their cases to be heard. He recalled that the governing administration promised in 2024 to transition the tribunal from a part-time body to a full-time institution with dedicated staff and permanent office space, but that campaign promise has yet to be fulfilled. Walters said he is hoping to receive a public update on the tribunal’s modernization during the ongoing debate over the Protection of Wages Bill.

  • Pakistan level Test series with emphatic win over West Indies

    Pakistan level Test series with emphatic win over West Indies

    After eight straight defeats on the road in Test cricket, Pakistan finally snapped that dreadful losing run on Wednesday, securing a comfortable victory over the West Indies on the penultimate day of the second Test at Queen’s Park Oval.

    Resuming the day at 103 for six, already on the brink of an innings collapse, the West Indies batting order could not withstand the pressure from Pakistan’s spin attack, and was eventually bowled out for 117 all out in 46.1 overs. Left-arm spinner Ali Usman led the final push to dismantle the home side’s tail, claiming two of the three remaining wickets to fall.

    It took Usman just two overs to claim his first wicket of the day, with Kemar Roach playing a wild slog sweep that completely missed the ball, leaving him bowled for a duck without adding a single run to the West Indies’ overnight total. Next to fall was Justin Greaves, who was already carrying an injury through his innings. After battling for 32 balls to score just three runs, Greaves attempted a pull shot through the onside against fast bowler Mohammad Ali, only to inside-edge the delivery onto his middle stump, leaving the Windies at 115 for eight.

    Aggressive all-rounder Shamar Joseph put on a brief show for the small but enthusiastic local crowd, hammering two consecutive boundaries from Usman through the onside. But his cameo did not last long: when he tried to repeat the shot in Usman’s next over, wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan completed the catch to end the West Indies innings. Brandon King was unable to bat for the tail, having suffered an injury while fielding on the previous day. Off-spinner Sajid Khan, who had done the bulk of the damage to the Windies batting line-up on Tuesday evening, finished with match figures of 4 for 32, while Usman ended with 4 wickets for 39 runs.

    Chasing just 75 runs to seal victory and level the two-match series at 1-1, Pakistan encountered only minor resistance from the West Indies bowling attack, even losing two early wickets in the chase. Fast bowler Jayden Seales worked over Pakistan opener Imam-ul-Haq with a string of testing deliveries, eventually drawing an uncertain prod that edged to Greaves in the slip cordon, with Pakistan at 15 for one. Joseph then claimed a second opener, bowling Azan Awais for 18 when the batsman attempted a cut through the onside and inside-edged the ball onto his stumps, pushing the score to 42 for two.

    However, Player of the Match Abdullah Shafique and captain Babar Azam combined for an unbroken third-wicket partnership of 35 runs, just as they had done earlier in the match, to steer Pakistan safely to victory without further loss. After surviving a tense close leg before wicket appeal, Azam finished the match in spectacular fashion, hitting left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican for back-to-back sixes over long-on and cover. Azam ended unbeaten on 24 runs from 30 deliveries, while Shafique finished with an unbeaten 24 from 51 balls.

    In post-match honors, Justin Greaves was named Player of the Series for the second consecutive Test series, sharing the award with Pakistan captain Babar Azam.

  • BSTU head urges admin reforms as lapses disrupt school salaries

    BSTU head urges admin reforms as lapses disrupt school salaries

    A growing crisis of unpaid and delayed salaries for public school teachers in Barbados, driven by systemic administrative failures in national education payroll systems, has pushed a top teachers union leader and sitting senator to push for strict, enforceable reforms in the upcoming national Protection of Wages Bill.

    Independent Senator Mary-Anne Redman, who also serves as president of the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU), laid out a wide-ranging pattern of persistent administrative breakdowns in a virtual address to the country’s senate. The problems she documented include months-long pay delays, incorrect salary calculations, and missing agreed-upon allowances that have left hundreds of public school educators unable to cover basic monthly living costs.

    Most alarmingly, Redman warned that the ongoing pay crisis is accelerating staff流失 in high-demand, critical subject areas. Talented early-career educators qualified in mathematics, physics and geography — roles already facing nationwide staffing shortages — are leaving the public education system entirely, she explained, because they cannot afford to work without consistent, timely pay. “To interfere with money that people have already earned through their work is a problem Caribbean workers should never have to confront, given our shared history,” Redman told the chamber. “Yet sadly, it is a challenge trade union leaders have had to address far too often.”

    Redman pointed to a lack of binding legislative enforcement as a core reason the payroll issues have continued to recur, with temporary teachers disproportionately affected by the gaps. She singled out inaction from some school board secretary-treasurers, tasked with inputting educator payroll data into national payment portals, as a primary driver of widespread frustration and disillusionment across the teaching profession. The BSTU receives a steady stream of monthly complaints from educators who go weeks or months without pay, many stemming from unprocessed paperwork tied to school reassignments.

    “Some teachers go for months without any pay at all,” Redman said. “This is incredibly frustrating, especially for new young teachers who already do not find starting teaching salaries attractive or working conditions ideal. Adding the stress of non-payment on top of that is a major deterrent that pushes people out of the sector.”

    The issues extend far beyond just total non-payment for extended periods. Even when educators do receive their salaries, they regularly face late disbursements, missing annual pay increments, and unpaid acting allowances for senior roles they have held for multiple years. In June alone, Redman revealed, 21 temporary teachers at one single school received their salaries weeks after the official scheduled payday. The delayed payment left many facing unexpected bank penalties, lasting damage to their personal credit ratings, and excessive tax deductions when their back pay was finally issued as a lump sum.

    Grounding her advocacy in international labor frameworks, Redman tied the Barbados pay crisis to the International Labour Organisation’s (ILO) definition of “decent work,” specifically citing ILO Conventions 95 and 173 that outline global standards for wage protection and protections for workers when employers face insolvency. Withholding timely payment for completed work, she argued, is inherently exploitative and damaging to long-term societal stability. “There is nothing more exploitative, counterproductive, and indecent in an employment relationship than forcing people to work without fair, timely payment for the work they have already completed,” she said.

    While Redman acknowledged that the Ministry of Education and Ministry of the Public Service have made incremental improvements to payroll processing in recent months, she stressed that the new Protection of Wages Bill must include concrete, accessible redress mechanisms for public sector employees. The proposed legislation, which replaces the outdated Cap. 351 legal framework, currently requires standardized recurring pay dates, regulates unauthorized wage deductions, and expands the regulatory powers of the chief labour officer. However, Redman raised critical concerns that public employees do not have direct access to the Employment Rights Tribunal, forcing them to rely on lengthy grievance processes outlined in the Public Service Act. She cited a BSTU grievance first filed in 2016 that remains unresolved to this day as evidence of the system’s failures.

    To fix the ongoing administrative breakdowns, Redman outlined a series of targeted structural reforms designed to speed up dispute resolution and strengthen accountability across school administrations. A top priority recommendation is the creation of an expedited, standalone grievance mechanism exclusively for wage disputes involving public sector educators. Citing analysis from independent public policy analysts, she urged parliament to implement a fast-track process that bypasses the slow traditional bureaucratic channels to resolve payment disputes when the government is the defaulting employer.

    The BSTU also renewed its longstanding call for the immediate establishment of the long-delayed Teaching Service Commission, a dedicated oversight body that would overhaul human resources management across the entire Barbados public education system. “This commission has been over 50 years in the making,” Redman said, noting that the independent body would remove more than 4,000 public school teachers from the purview of the overstretched Public Service Commission, easing administrative backlogs. Dedicated, education-specific oversight, she argued, would significantly reduce the frustration, disillusionment, and desperation teachers face when waiting for the pay they have earned.

    Beyond the creation of the new commission, Redman called on the government to reclassify school secretary-treasurers as formal public officers, a shift that would enforce stricter operational standards and hold individual administrators accountable for meeting payroll deadlines. This change, she explained, would prevent individual inaction from derailing pay processing and putting educators’ livelihoods at risk. Redman also added that mandatory pre-appointment training for all school board of management members — particularly chairpersons and their deputies — is essential to ensure board leaders understand their legal responsibilities, financial regulatory requirements, and personnel management obligations. Many current board members, she noted, remain unaware that they are legally responsible for the performance and conduct of the secretary-treasurers on their boards.

    Despite her sharp critiques of current administrative practices and gaps in existing enforcement frameworks, Redman emphasized that she and the BSTU fully support the proposed Protection of Wages Bill, calling it a critical foundational step toward protecting worker dignity and codifying strong wage protections in Barbados law.

  • Coach Corbin urges consistency despite RF Prime victory

    Coach Corbin urges consistency despite RF Prime victory

    In a recent matchup of the Barbados Football Association’s Kotex Women’s League at the Wildey Technical Centre, RF Prime claimed a solid 2-0 victory over Technique, but head coach Kirk Corbin is not letting his side get complacent. He is pushing the squad to lock in consistent performance as the season progresses.

    The two goals that sealed RF Prime’s win came on either side of halftime, with Kerisha Catlyn breaking the scoreless deadlock just one minute before the break in the 44th minute, and junior talent Jamilah Neblett-Phillips extending the lead just two minutes into the second half.

    While Corbin acknowledged he is satisfied with the three points, he emphasized that head-to-head fixtures between RF Prime and Technique have historically been tightly fought contests. The two squads have delivered very close results over the years, with players on both sides falling into a similar age bracket that leaves the teams closely matched physically. According to Corbin, matches between the two sides ultimately come down to mental preparation and the ability to capitalize on critical match moments, factors that ultimately separate the two competitors when they face off.

    Corbin also took time to highlight the contributions of his two goalscorers, noting that both are foundational pieces of his RF Prime squad. He described Catlyn as one of the team’s young veterans: currently in her early twenties, she already boasts extensive experience with the national team, and the squad consistently looks to her to deliver game-changing moments. Her goal against Technique marks another milestone in her recovery from a recent injury, as she works her way back to full match fitness and form. For Neblett-Phillips, Corbin pointed out that the young junior national team player, who is currently entering her third year of secondary education, has now notched two goals for the current Kotex League season – a statistic that he says reflects the strength of the development work happening at RF Prime’s academy.

    Looking back at the first half of the current season, Corbin admitted that his preparation and squad rotation have been disrupted by persistent injury issues and frequent player unavailability. Academic commitments have also kept several players off the pitch, with many squad members wrapping up final exams and graduation ceremonies in recent weeks. Corbin is optimistic that the upcoming school vacation period will let the squad regroup, saying that the priority over the coming weeks is to get all players back together, support injured athletes through full recovery, and build momentum for a strong second half of the campaign.

    Beyond the ongoing Kotex Women’s League, Corbin has expressed enthusiastic support for a major new addition to Barbados’ women’s football calendar: the inaugural Prime Minister’s Cup, set to kick off its first season in the final quarter of the year, with a $100,000 grand prize awarded to the tournament champions. Corbin says female players across the country will welcome both the additional competitive opportunities and the significant cash reward on offer, noting that local female footballers have long voiced frustration over a lack of consistent playing time. With back-to-back tournaments now scheduled through the year, Corbin argues that teams have no excuse not to deliver a high-quality competitive product that will draw spectators to matches. For the first edition of the Prime Minister’s Cup, Corbin says the primary goal is to test the new tournament structure, identify areas for improvement, and build a framework for future iterations. Ultimately, Corbin says, women’s football in Barbados needs to evolve into a consistent, compelling product that makes audiences willing to invest their time and money in the sport long-term.

    League action will return to the BFA Technical Centre this coming Saturday, with two upcoming fixtures on the schedule: RF Prime will face off against Whitehall, while Technique will take on Mavericks.

  • Braggin’ Rights eyes multi-sport expansion after giving back more than $500 000 to schools

    Braggin’ Rights eyes multi-sport expansion after giving back more than $500 000 to schools

    As one of the Caribbean’s most enduring community-focused alumni sports tournaments prepares to mark its 15th year of operation, event leaders have unveiled ambitious plans to grow beyond its football roots by adding multiple new sports to the annual competition lineup, all while building on a legacy of giving back that has already pumped more than $500,000 into local participating secondary schools.

    Cranston Kirton, chair of the Braggin’ Rights organising committee, shared details of the expansion roadmap in an interview ahead of the 2025 edition of the tournament, confirming that organisers are working to reintroduce past sports offerings and add new disciplines over the next five years to support more school communities across Barbados.

    “We launched with just football back when we started, and later branched out to add netball, but we’ve had to pause the netball competition for the last several years while the island’s main netball facility undergoes major renovation work,” Kirton explained. “Now that we’re gearing up for our 15th anniversary, we’re ready to rebuild our multi-sport offering: we’re targeting a netball return to the official tournament calendar by 2027, and we plan to run that discipline for at least two consecutive years before adding our next new sport, which will almost certainly be cricket, with hockey to follow after that.” Kirton added that sports fans can expect to see at least one additional competitive sport added to the Braggin’ Rights lineup as early as 2026.

    The expansion announcement comes just weeks ahead of the 2025 Braggin’ Rights tournament, which will officially get underway on August 9 with Soccerama, a kickoff event paired with a community Health and Wellness Fair at Empire Playing Field in Bank Hall. This year’s Soccerama round will feature 14 competing teams, headlined by defending open division champions St George Lions, who enter the tournament as heavy favorites to retain their title after a full off-season of organized training and exhibition matches.

    The tournament’s age-divided structure will also see the Over-35 division defending champions, St Leonard’s Upper Fifth, chase an unprecedented fourth consecutive title, while last year’s Over-47 division winners Coleridge and Parry will face new competition from two first-time entrants: St Lucy Secondary and Harrison College. Overall, the 2025 tournament will host 21 squads in the Over-35 division and 10 teams in the Over-47 age group.

    After 15 years of community-focused operations, Kirton acknowledged that the all-volunteer organising committee has faced no shortage of logistical and financial hurdles along the way, but remains committed to growing the event’s charitable impact. As a charity-driven tournament, 100% of all prize funds are distributed directly to participating schools through alumni associations, giving winning squads a structured way to invest in their former institutions.

    To date, long-standing partnerships with local corporate sponsors have allowed the committee to distribute more than $500,000 in total prize funding to participating schools, benefiting everything from campus infrastructure projects to student scholarship programs and extracurricular activity budgets. Kirton noted that the committee is actively seeking new corporate partners and sponsors to expand the tournament’s reach, with the long-term goal of providing meaningful financial support to every school represented by an alumni team in the competition.
    “This tournament has always been about more than just sport – it’s about former students coming together to lift up the schools that shaped them,” Kirton said. “Every new partner we bring on board helps us get closer to that goal of supporting every single school in our tournament.”

  • Bridgetown Market remains a cherished tradition despite changing times

    Bridgetown Market remains a cherished tradition despite changing times

    On the afternoon and evening of Sunday, August 2, 2026, the Mighty Grynner Highway in Barbados transformed into a vibrant hub of Caribbean culture, as the second day of the annual Bridgetown Market drew thousands of attendees of all ages. Against ongoing public discussion of sliding attendance numbers in recent years, the event stayed true to its roots as a core cultural tradition of the island’s iconic Crop Over Festival, blending local crafts, authentic street food, soca and calypso music, and communal celebration that kept crowds engaged from late afternoon through the night.

    When reporters from Barbados TODAY arrived on site just after 5 p.m., the open-air pop-up market was already humming with activity. Stalls displaying everything from handcrafted textiles to artisanal jewellery, children’s toys, and savoury local street food lined both sides of the highway. Visitors moved at a relaxed pace through the venue, with young children tugging at their caregivers’ hands to reach sno-cone carts and playful light-up and bubble toys, while adults mingled with old friends and soaked in the warm, festive atmosphere.

    Approximately an hour after the site reached full bustle, a procession of revellers from Aura Experience’s SunMas, produced in partnership with Monde Mas and Blue Box Cart, made their way to the open area in front of the Stanfield Scott Building. Large music trucks pumped upbeat soca tracks as costumed revellers danced through the street, injecting a high-energy carnival vibe into the longstanding traditional market event. Performing from the lead truck, popular local artist Jordan English delivered crowd-pleasing renditions of some of his most well-known tracks, including *Active* and *Island Girl*.

    Amid the celebration, reporters spoke with dozens of vendors, long-time attendees, and first-time visitors about the event’s enduring place in Barbadian culture, and the challenges it has faced with shifting attendance over the past decade. Many described Bridgetown Market as an unmissable cornerstone of Crop Over, sharing personal stories of how the annual gathering has evolved alongside their own lives.

    Osula Holder, an artisan with iCreate Concepts who has displayed her work at the market for five years, was joined by her sister Sophia Sandiford to sell handcrafted crochet accessories, including bonnets, scrunchies, and headbands, all made in-house. For Holder, Bridgetown Market is always a joyful experience that blends the opportunity to grow her small business with the chance to connect with the island’s cultural soul. “My experience of Bridgetown Market is always a pleasant one. I try to take it for what it is and make it as best as I could in terms of making money and also enjoying the festival and the people and the energy that Bridgetown Market has,” she said.

    Holder shared that she looks forward to Crop Over every year for its unique blend of social commentary, live music, community connection, and cultural immersion, calling the festival a holistic experience she cannot imagine going a year without. Earlier that same afternoon, she had even stepped away from her stall to join a game of Wari, a traditional African board game that remains a beloved cultural practice on the island.

    While she acknowledged that attendance has fluctuated considerably over her years participating in the market, Holder expressed confidence that ongoing efforts from the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), which organizes the event, can reverse recent declines. “I think that the NCF is trying to find ways to bring people to the space again. Maybe it might take a little bit more in advertising, but it is what it is,” she said, noting that she has already observed an encouraging uptick in visitors from across the Caribbean region in recent years.

    A short distance away, Kaye Bascombe was browsing handmade toys with her partner and two children at the CNC Wholesale and Retail stall. Bascombe, who became a parent seven years ago, said attending the annual market has been a non-negotiable family tradition for her household ever since. “We usually come every year to Bridgetown Market so that the children can come out and get their toys and enjoy the culture, enjoy the festival,” she explained. Bascombe echoed the common observation that attendance is lower than it was decades ago, saying she misses the larger scope of past events and hopes to see the market regain its former size. “I’d like to see more stalls because I remember before when we were all down the highway. It’s kind of disappointing to see that we’ve moved away from that,” she said. When asked why her family returns year after year despite the changes, she answered simply: “Nostalgia. Because I remember coming with my mom and my dad. So I want to carry that on with them.”

    Further down the highway, Michael Frederick, a copper jewellery artisan, showcased his collection of one-of-a-kind handcrafted designs under his business name St. Elmo Wire Wrapping and Design Jewelry. His display featured an array of copper and stainless steel bracelets, earrings, and beaded pieces for women, alongside paracord accessories designed for male customers. Frederick, who has participated in Bridgetown Market for three years, said demand varies from year to year, often depending on which designs catch visitors’ eyes during the event. Even so, he said the public response to his unique craftsmanship has been consistently encouraging. “I love what I do because they can’t get enough. They love my work because it’s very unique,” he said, adding that his specially coated copper pieces retain their shine for years with proper care. Standing nearby, wearing two of Frederick’s handcrafted copper bracelets, was long-time attendee and supporter Abigail Springer, who has attended every Bridgetown Market since the event’s launch. Springer argued that the gathering deserves ongoing public and private investment to preserve its cultural importance. “I think that [people should attend Bridgetown Market] because it’s a part of the culture and I think that we should put more into it and encourage one another,” she said. For Springer, the biggest draw of the annual event is the chance to reconnect with friends and community members she may not have seen in months, while walking through the market grounds.

    Over at Big G’s Enterprises, a long-time local food vendor, customers lined up to order as the rich aroma of sizzling burgers and fried fish cakes drifted across the highway. Owner Austin Yearwood-Skeete, who now runs the third-generation family business, said Big G’s has been feeding Bridgetown Market attendees for more than 25 years. This year, top sellers included the brand’s signature fish cakes, alongside classic menu items like burgers, fried chicken, and homemade macaroni pie. Like many other vendors, Yearwood-Skeete noted that attendance has dropped in recent years, and proposed a solution to bring more visitors, particularly younger Barbadians, back to the event: corporate-sponsored incentives. “To encourage people to come back, I think we will have to maybe offer some incentives like let various sponsors then give drinks or free burgers or even samples of their various products and see if that would encourage them to come,” she said.

    Across the highway at the Amazing Kids stall, 17-year-old sales assistant Tiffany Wickham watched as children crowded around the display to look at Needoh products and squishy toys. Wickham said business had been much slower on the first day of the market, but picked up significantly on Sunday, and credited the SunMas procession with drawing more crowds to the area. “My favourite part was when they saw Aura and the bands coming down. That was better this year for me,” she said. For Wickham, who is in her second year working at the stall, Bridgetown Market remains an irreplaceable part of Crop Over. “It was a part of our culture for a very long time. If we were to stop it would feel weird. This is the time that I see everybody together most,” she explained, adding that her favourite part of working the event is the chance to interact with a wide range of visitors. “I just like the interaction with the people. Some like to crack jokes, some like to just smile and purchase stuff.”

    As the sun set over the highway, crowds that had spread out along the route drifted toward the main stage, where hundreds of spectators packed together shoulder to shoulder for an evening programme of live calypso performances. The show was hosted first by Carl “Alff” Padmore, and later by Antoine “Brudda Daddy” Williams, and featured performances from a roster of beloved local artists including Adrian Clarke, De Announcer, Q-Lemar, Shawnie, Captain Sawyer, Ross, Bert “Panta” Brown, and veteran tent leader Jerry Roberts, whose appearance on stage drew a rousing standing ovation and loud cheers from the crowd.

    First launched in 1974 as part of the modern revival of the historic Crop Over Festival, Bridgetown Market is traditionally held across the final Friday, Saturday, and Sunday before the annual Grand Kadooment parade. The NCF has taken charge of organizing the event since it assumed full responsibility for the Crop Over Festival in 1983.

  • Cohobblopot finale set to cap incident-free Crop Over

    Cohobblopot finale set to cap incident-free Crop Over

    As Barbados’ iconic annual Crop Over festival prepares to draw its curtain with the traditional closing event Cohobblopot at the National Botanical Gardens, the National Cultural Foundation (NCF) has announced it will move straight into post-festival reviews and early-stage planning for the 2027 iteration, with leadership reporting this year’s celebration has exceeded core expectations and remained largely incident-free.

    In an interview with local outlet Barbados TODAY on Tuesday, NCF Chief Executive Officer Carol Roberts laid out the full scope of this year’s programming, highlighting that organizers delivered on all promised cultural elements from the start of the season. Most notably, two fan-favorite staple events – Party Monarch and Cohobblopot – made their successful return this year, after being reintroduced per direction from cultural ministry officials. The 202X season has already produced a historic winner: local performer Mikey claimed both Party Monarch titles before securing the coveted Road March crown in Sunday’s competition, a feat Roberts described as an unprecedented career milestone for the artist.

    The NCF has partnered closely with independent private promoters to deliver Party Monarch and this week’s closing Cohobblopot event, and Roberts said organizers are confident the final showcase will serve as a fitting climax to the festival. Early attendance data from private event organizers points to strong turnout across the board, with most promoters reporting higher visitor numbers at their individual events compared to previous years.

    Beyond the major flagship competitions, this year’s festival expanded outreach and youth engagement initiatives. NCF teams visited local schools to promote the organization’s junior costume program, which spurred the creation of multiple new Junior Kadooment bands from schools and community groups that earned high praise from judges during their parade. Three well-received visual arts exhibitions were held as part of the connected Season of Emancipation, and new skills training sessions were offered for emerging young calypsonians, alongside the development of a standardized judging rubric for senior calypso competitions. Targeted training in local schools also grew the National Youth Steel Orchestra with new members, who went on to headline the popular Pandamonium steelband concert.

    One of this year’s standout new cultural additions was a series of six commissioned large-scale traditional costumes, which made their debut at the festival’s opening gala, featured in the Grand Kadooment parade, and will be prominently displayed in a special illuminated presentation during Cohobblopot’s closing festivities.

    Roberts extended particular thanks to Barbados residents for their role in keeping the entire festival largely incident-free to date, and urged attendees at the final event to continue prioritizing responsible behavior to cap off the season successfully. “We have one more event to go, and my fingers are crossed; and I hope that we will continue to comport ourselves in a manner that will allow us to have a great old time, but also be responsible for ourselves and for each other,” she said.

    Unlike past planning cycles that stagger post-festival reviews, the NCF will convene all key stakeholder groups as early as next week to gather feedback, compile recommendations, and lay the groundwork for the 2027 Crop Over season. “As you move around from event to event, people make comments, people make recommendations; and then of course, we immediately meet with all the stakeholder groups after the festival, probably as early as next week, to begin to get their thoughts and their ideas and their recommendations and to put it into a format then, to send up to the powers that be for approval,” Roberts explained.

    The CEO also expressed gratitude for all contributions to this year’s success, including constructive criticism from audience members and cultural observers. “It is the criticism that will keep you on your toes and ensure that the festival is always fresh. We are not the only festival in this part of the region, furthermore the world; so we constantly have to be refreshing and ensure that, first and foremost, that the festival is endorsed by our compatriots; and then secondly, that we have a product to sell to the world. That’s always a delicate balancing act,” she said.

    Moving forward, Roberts confirmed the NCF remains committed to preserving the authentic Bajan cultural roots of Crop Over while introducing intentional innovation that resonates with both local attendees and international tourists. While private festival partners will conduct their own independent reviews and adjust their programming approaches, Roberts noted all stakeholders share a unified goal of continuing to elevate the global standing of Barbados’ signature cultural celebration.

  • Luxury, music, style define Soca & Wine: Lux Tropix experience

    Luxury, music, style define Soca & Wine: Lux Tropix experience

    On Friday evening, the iconic Christ Church venue The Concorde Experience came alive with rhythm, color and high energy as hundreds of festival-goers gathered for Soca & Wine: Lux Tropix, one of the most anticipated premium events on this year’s Crop Over calendar. Co-organized by two prominent entertainment firms, Hits and Jams Entertainment and Zulu Entertainment, the event delivered a meticulously curated immersive experience that lived up to its luxury tropical branding from the moment guests stepped through the entrance.

    Every design element was chosen to reinforce the event’s ‘Lux Tropix’ identity: lush tropical floral installations took center stage, accented by sleek gold decor that elevated the entire space, turning the normally understated venue into a vibrant tropical luxury paradise. What made the experience even more memorable for attendees was the inclusion of multiple complimentary perks with every general admission ticket. Upon arrival, every guest received a curated welcome bag holding a custom branded event cup, a portable handheld fan for warm Caribbean evenings, and a pair of foldable flat shoes—small touches that demonstrated the organizers’ focus on guest comfort throughout the 9-hour event, which ran from 3 p.m. through midnight.

    One of the earliest crowd favorites was the striking branded red carpet paired with a custom tropical-themed photo backdrop, which drew a steady stream of guests from the moment doors opened. Attendees clustered in small groups, with friends, partners and large crews all stopping to capture shared memories before heading to the main dance floor. Additional branded photo backdrops lined the venue’s corridors, giving guests multiple opportunities to document their night out. The immersive tropical luxury theme extended across the entire venue, including the space beneath the venue’s iconic retired Concorde aircraft, where dozens of guests gathered to socialize against the one-of-a-kind backdrop.

    Catered complimentary food, included with all admission tickets, was served from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the far end of the venue, with a menu featuring hearty crowd favorites such as seasoned pork and grilled chicken. For guests seeking additional options, a selection of external food vendors and extra bar stations were set up across the venue grounds. Premium included drinks were poured throughout the night by skilled bartenders, with attendees able to grab top-tier beverages without extra charge throughout the event. Much of the evening’s success can be credited to the carefully curated lineup of DJs, who kept energy levels high from the first set to the last. The lineup included local selectors Thorny and Supa Nytro, alongside headline guest Macyy Jadee, a female DJ who traveled all the way from the United Kingdom to bring her unique take on soca to the Crop Over crowd.

    Supa Nytro kicked off the evening’s main programming with a dynamic mix that blended nostalgic classic soca hits with the most popular contemporary tracks, setting a joyful, energetic tone that carried through the rest of the night. Thorny kept the momentum going with a set packed with fan-favorite soca anthems that had guests moving early on, while Jadee closed out the night with a high-energy selection that kept the dance floor packed. By late evening, the venue was at full capacity, with hundreds of patrons packed in front of the stage dancing enthusiastically to booming bass and catchy soca beats, capping off a night that delivered on every promise of premium, festive fun for Crop Over revelers.

  • Veteran designer West dominates Grand Kadooment awards

    Veteran designer West dominates Grand Kadooment awards

    The 2026 Crop-Over festival’s Grand Kadooment celebration has wrapped up its annual competitive awards, and veteran mas band leader Betty West has emerged as the standout winner of the season. For the second consecutive year, West claimed the festival’s most coveted honor, the Robert Weekes Award for Best Festival Designer, for her vivid creative portrayal titled *ICONS of Crop-Over* that pays homage to the cultural legacy of the historic Caribbean festival.

    West’s production company, Betty West Productions, turned in a dominant performance across multiple competitive categories, securing three additional top honors beyond the designer award. The team took home first place for Best Presentation – Heritage, earned the George Dear Award for Best Band on the Road – Heritage, and claimed the title of Small Band of the Year – Heritage. In the Large Band of the Year – Heritage division, Ryan Forde’s Vida By Esquire claimed the top spot with their thematic presentation *Guardians of Heritage*, which celebrated the deep-rooted cultural traditions of the festival.

    Quincy Jones, the leader of mas band Zenobia, earned first place in the festival’s dedicated HIV/AIDS awareness category with his reflective entry *Ribbon of Remembrance*, which honors those impacted by the disease and raises public awareness around ongoing public health efforts.

    In the competitive male individual heritage category, which awards the Gwyneth Squires Award to the top costume, Kevin Small of FifthElement Mas took the gold medal for his elaborate costume *Party Another Day*. Rounding out the top three positions were Rachad Goring with *King of the Road* in second place, and Kaveh Holder with *Ribbon of Remembrance* in third, both representing Zenobia.

    For the female individual heritage division, also awarding the Gwyneth Squires Award, Suzette Reid of FifthElement Mas claimed first place with her costume *The Bride’s Party*. Betty West herself took second place with her own costume *Trini Ah Come From*, while Morgan Forde of Vida by Esquire rounded out the top three with *Sea Symphony*. The Winston Jordan Award for Best Flag Person went to Justin Poleon of FifthElement Mas, with Kayla Richards of Zenobia taking second and Shanice Husbands of Betty West Productions securing third.

    In the final standings for the overall Best Band on the Road competition, Kevin Small and Jaslissa Small’s FifthElement Mas placed second with their presentation *We Party’N*, while Quincy Jones’ Zenobia entry *Spirit of the Road* took third place to close out the award announcements.