Calendar / Spicemas
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Music & Culture Festivals in St. George's
Spicemas
Aug 10–11, 2026ConfirmedSpicemas 2026 (Carnival Monday & Tuesday)
Run by Spicemas Corporation, with published dates and a real program.
Dates & details verified against: Official event site ↗
Why go
Spicemas is Grenada's carnival, and it is one of the most distinctive in the Caribbean because its oldest traditions have never been sanded down for tourists. The build-up runs through late July and early August with Panorama steelpan, Soca Monarch and the Traditional Mas Festival, then peaks over two days. Carnival Monday opens before dawn with J'ouvert, when Jab Jab masqueraders coat themselves head to toe in black used engine oil, molasses and tar, drag chains, wear horns and animal parts and pour through the streets of St. George's in a raw, defiant ritual rooted in emancipation from slavery. Monday night brings the Monday Night Mas pyjama and light parade, and Carnival Tuesday, Fancy Mas, fills the capital with the feathered and sequined Parade of the Bands. Around them run traditional characters like the Shortknee and the Vekou. This is a participatory street festival, not a grandstand show, and standing in the Jab Jab crowd at dawn is unlike anything at the glossier carnivals to the north. It is organised by the Spicemas Corporation, the island's official carnival body.
When it runs
Held every August, climaxing on the second Monday of August (Carnival Monday) and the following Tuesday (Fancy Mas), with J'ouvert before dawn on the Monday, coordinated by the Spicemas Corporation. Feeder events (Panorama, Soca Monarch, Dimanche Gras, Traditional Mas Festival) run across the preceding days. Upcoming: J'ouvert and Monday Night Mas 10 August 2026, Fancy Mas 11 August 2026; Carnival Monday 9 August 2027.
- Aug 10–11, 2026ConfirmedSpicemas 2026 (Carnival Monday & Tuesday)
- Aug 9–10, 2027ExpectedSpicemas 2027 (Carnival Monday & Tuesday)
Dates read confirmed where the organizer has published them, and expected where we've projected the recurrence. Always verify with the organizer before booking.
What to expect
Spicemas happens every August, climaxing on the second Monday of August and the following Tuesday. In 2026 the big days are Monday 10 August, with J'ouvert before dawn and Monday Night Mas that evening, and Fancy Mas on Tuesday 11 August, with feeder events like Panorama, Soca Monarch and Dimanche Gras across the days before. The heat, crowds and pace are intense, especially at J'ouvert; wear old clothes and closed shoes to play in the Jab Jab, since the oil and paint do not wash out, and keep phones and cameras protected. Book accommodation months ahead, as the island fills up.
Getting there & around
The main events centre on St. George's and the National Stadium, a short drive or taxi from the Grand Anse hotel strip; expect road closures and heavy traffic on the two carnival days, so walk or use pre-arranged transport. J'ouvert starts around 4am on Carnival Monday and running with a Jab Jab band means getting covered in oil and paint, so bring clothes you will throw away. Many events are free to watch from the street; band and fete tickets are sold through the Spicemas Corporation and individual bands. The official schedule and dates are published each year by the Spicemas Corporation.
Where it happens
St. George's, Grenada.
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