Cayman Carnival Batabano 2024

Batabano is one of the biggest annual events in the Cayman Islands and is a Mardi Gras-like event featuring soca music, colourful costumes, dancing and parade.

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Last updated 18 December, 2023

Batabano's signature Soca music (a type of calypso music with elements of soul that often features lyrics about life or politics), is the driving force behind the carnival festivities which also features calypso bands, colourful costumes, dancing and a float parade.

Batabano - Cayman Carnival Dates

Adult Parade: Saturday 4th May 2024
Junior Parade:
 Saturday 20th April 2024

History

Launched in 1983 by the Rotary Club of Grand Cayman, Cayman Carnival Batabano is held annually during the first week of May and is a vibrant highlight in the Island’s entertainment calendar.

The festival’s name, Batabano, is a salute to Cayman’s turtling heritage as the word batabano refers to the tracks left in the sand by sea turtles as they crawl onto the beach to nest. Finding these tracks was – and still is – a reason to celebrate!

2024 Batabano Events

Adult Parade - Saturday 4th May 2024

See the streets of Cayman come alive with a kaleidoscope of music, dance and pageantry. Find yourself a good vantage spot along the route and watch as thousands of energetic revellers dance through the streets in spectacular costumes. You’ll even spot stilt walkers, acrobats and limbo dancers all grooving to the beat of live soca music.

The Adult Street Parade will start from Public Beach and end on Seafarer's Way. There'll be a Food Festival in the centre of George Town and street party finale.

This is a fantastic afternoon of Caribbean culture not to be missed!

2024 Batabano Junior Parade - Saturday 20th April 2024

Cayman Carnival Junior Batabano is a family-friendly festival for the islands’ youth. Introduced in 2002, this colourful cultural showcase marks its anniversary this year! Junior Carnival has grown from a small program that preceded the adult parade to its very own one-day event.

The children will parade into George Town in a mass of colour, music and creativity. After the parade, the fun continues with face painting, mask decorating, snow cones and many family fun activities.

The goal of Junior Carnival Batabano is to create a safe, fun and creative environment for youth to play mas (masquerade) and to teach the art of costume making for generations to come

Batabano website.

Batabano Facebook page

Cayman Carnival 2019
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