Tobago Correspondent
Tobago’s 2025 October Carnival delivered record visitor arrivals, strong economic activity and smooth event management, according to Deputy Chief Secretary Faith Brebnor, who declared the festival a resounding success.
The four-day celebration, now in its fourth year, drew thousands across major events, including J’Ouvert, Pan and Powder, Calypso Monarch and Parade of the Bands.
Brebnor said the festival drove economic activity across Tobago, boosting hotels, guesthouses, transport operators, street vendors, designers and entertainers.
“The 2025 Tobago October Carnival was a resounding success. We’ve had the largest crowds, we’ve had an incident-free period as far as has been reported by the TTPS and the other stakeholders, we’ve had occupancy rates at our hotels sky high, and I think generally this injection into the economy of Tobago was one that is worth it,” she said.
She said the THA launched the festival in 2022 under heavy criticism but remained committed to building a second annual carnival product to stimulate Tobago’s economy.
“When this TPP administration decided to launch a brand new carnival product within the first year of our administration, it was certainly a Herculean task, but we did it,” Brebnor said.
“We learned from the mistakes that we made during the previous years, and we will continue to learn from the lessons that we garner as we go along. All of the reports show that people truly enjoyed themselves.”
Brebnor said planning for Tobago October Carnival 2026 will begin soon, with a focus on earlier transport planning, better crowd management and expanded entertainment zones.
Temporary Secretary of Tourism, Culture and Antiquities Zorisha Hackett also credited the success of the festival to stronger collaboration with cultural groups and event organisers.
She said this year the Tobago House of Assembly made a deliberate effort to include more voices in planning and decision-making.
“One of the things we did this year was listen to our stakeholders. Not only did we listen to them, but we had them in the rooms where decisions were being made,” Hackett said. “Stakeholders from promoters to mas bands to TUCO to Pan Trinbago. We understand that we need to continue having all our special interest groups at the table. At the end of the day, this is not a Tobago House of Assembly product. It is an all-of-Tobago product.”
She said the festival cannot grow without input from the people who build it on the ground.
“We need everybody who can add to making this one of the best festivals in this part of the Western Hemisphere,” Hackett said. “We need to listen, we need to sit together, and we need to understand what we all have to put in to ensure that it is successful.”
Hackett said one of the main changes this year was better integration of communities.
“What we decided after listening is to integrate the east and the west, leading up to Carnival weekend. Events like the Pavement Lime in Crown Point are important, and we supported them because private-sector-driven events are part of the culture too,” she said.
“Young people in Rockly Vale and Milford Road came out strong this year and claimed the festival as their own. That is what we want—more ownership from the people of Tobago.”
However, Hackett said access to Tobago remained one of the festival’s biggest challenges, especially for visitors coming from outside Trinidad.
“Transport continues to be a problem. We are not in control of the air and sea bridge. So we depend on government intervention, which we got, but for some people it came too late,” she said. “Someone regionally or internationally trying to get to Tobago to take part in Carnival would have had challenges.”
She said Tobago must push for better transport solutions before the next Carnival.
“We want to start early discussions about wet-leasing aircraft and chartered flights. By year five, getting to Tobago for Carnival must not be a problem.
“That calls for planning, strong advocacy and respect for what the festival brings to the economy,” Hackett said.
She said the Tobago October Carnival had now proven itself to be the island’s biggest annual festival.
“This festival brings economic stability for many businesses—from food and beverage to transport to accommodation. We cannot ignore that anymore,” Hackett said. “But Government cannot do it alone. We need the private sector to invest in Carnival, too. We want to build this product properly and make sure it benefits the people of this island.”
The Tobago Police Division reported no major criminal incidents linked to the festivities. Emergency services were fully deployed throughout the week, including the Fire Service, Defence Force, Coast Guard and the Tobago Emergency Management Agency (TEMA).
Chief Secretary Farley Augustine, in a special media post yesterday, also thanked the security and operations teams for maintaining safety throughout the celebrations.
“As we brought the last event of the season to a close tonight, I want to extend heartfelt thanks to ACP Tobago Subero, Snr Supt Elie, Captain McKenna and Director of TEMA Allan Stewart, as well as the men and women of the TTFS for their stellar work in keeping everyone safe,” he said. “Your leadership and coordination ensured that thousands of Tobagonians and visitors could enjoy themselves in peace and safety.”
Augustine said that while Carnival benefits Tobago, cultural investment must support all sections of society.
“While I do not personally take part in the Carnival celebrations, I deeply appreciate the positive economic impact,” he said. “Still, I wish to see similar levels of investment and creativity directed toward entertainment and cultural experiences that serve our people of faith. The religious community must get equal support.”
