By the time the clock in The Valley struck eleven on August 8th 2025, the air was already buzzing with the hum of steel pans, and the restless shuffle of dancing feet waiting for the music to begin. The day marked the arrival of the much-loved Grand Parade of Troupes – and while the streets may not have been as crowded as in years gone by, the soul of carnival was unmistakably alive.
This year’s 
parade, smaller than last year’s, came in the wake of some unfortunate fallout from the previous festival. All of the troupes sat out the season, and the crowd along the route was noticeably thinner. But as any true Anguillian will tell you, carnival is more than numbers – it’s a state of mind, a feeling, and a connection to our heritage that refuses to be dimmed. This year, that intimacy brought its own kind of magic.
Those who came out were treated to a cultural mosaic. Visitors and returning families from across the Caribbean diaspora joined locals in celebrating the occasion. St. Kitts’ delegation brought high-stepping mocko jumbies, pounding drumlines, and waves of dancers that kept the rhythm alive. From St. Maarten/St. Martin came troupes with costumes gleaming in the midday sun, and the Dominican community added their signature flair, swaying down the road in flowing orange, blue, and white dresses – a nod to their heritage and a salute to ours.
Costumes, too, told their own stories. Feathers in shades of crimson, emerald, and violet caught the light with every turn. Intricate headpieces towered above the crowd, while bejewelled staffs and props reflected Anguilla’s cultural roots. The parade pulsed with soca beats – both the modern, bass-driven anthems and the timeless tunes that have defined Caribbean summers for decades. Anguilla’s own Exodus HD kept hips moving and spirits high, while a steel pan orchestra added a shimmering musical layer, reworking popular soca into something fresh yet familiar.
In between the troupes came the festival’s royalty – winners, runners-up, and bright young talents from the Talented Teen, Miss Anguilla, Princess and Prince, and Junior Calypso competitions, smiling and waving to well-wishers. Even under the blazing August sun, they kept their poise, basking in the cheers that followed them down the route.
The final stop, as always, was the Landsome Bowl Cultural Centre, where the announcement everyone was waiting for crowned PVI as this year’s Road March champion – their second consecutive win. The troupe’s jubilation was shared by onlookers, who knew they had witnessed a slice of living history in motion.
If this year’s parade felt like a pause – a quieter moment in the long story of Anguilla’s August celebrations – then perhaps it was the calm before the storm of feathers, sequins, and music we’ll see in 2026. Carnival, after all, is an unbroken tradition here: sometimes big, sometimes small, but always ours.
