ROSEAU, Dominica — WITH preparations complete, the 2026 World Creole Music Festival is set to take over the Windsor Park Sports Stadium for three nights of music and entertainment.
The festival, a major fixture on the regional entertainment calendar, has grown significantly over the years, with organisers anticipating a strong turnout for its 26th edition.
With Machel Montano, Ne-Yo, Signal Band and a host of top local and regional performers set to take the stage, thousands of music lovers are expected to turn out for the event.
The excitement began on Thursday morning with a press conference attended by several artistes, DJs, social media personalities and content creators, who offered a taste of what fans can expect over the three nights.
Director of Tourism Marva Williams told SKNVibes Entertainment that the festival was conceived to promote bouyon and cadence music, attract visitors to Dominica during the Independence celebrations and showcase Creole music from across the region and beyond.
“When we talk about Creole music, we talk about the St. Lucia Creole, you know, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Haiti and Africa,” Williams said. “And we've seen that transition over the years. We've seen it really create a platform for not only promoting the music but creating an awareness for Dominica as a destination.”
The festival has also helped bring greater attention to bouyon music, which continues to gain popularity both regionally and internationally.
“And with everything, there is growth,” Williams said, pointing to the increase in attendance over the years. “In the early days of the World Creole Music Festival, we probably would have recorded 2,000 attendees.”
Williams noted that attendance last year exceeded 4,400 people across the three nights. She said she expects visitor arrivals to to the island to increase further this year, highlighting the number of people who travelled to the island during the lead-up to the festival in 2025.
“In the nine days leading into the festival in 2025, we had over 10,000 people coming in to enjoy Independence and the World Creole Music Festival,” she said.
Night one will feature performances by Capleton, Ezra, Skillibeng and TK International, among others, as the festival gets underway with a mix of local, regional and international sounds.
