About us
About Soca Carnival
Why this guide exists
Think of this site as the all-you-can-eat buffet for Carnival. Take as much or as little as you need, from the dates and a packing list to two centuries of history and the meaning of “wining”.
Carnival information is scattered across band websites, Instagram stories, old newspaper archives and group chats. We bring it together, check it against reliable sources, explain the local words plainly, and keep it updated as the season moves. The aim is simple: whoever you are, you should be able to arrive prepared and enjoy every minute.
Who it is for
First-time visitors
You have heard about Carnival and want to know what actually happens, when to book, what it costs and how to play mas without feeling lost. Start with the first-timer's guide.
Trinis abroad
You know the music and the food, but you need this year's dates, band launches and fete line-up, plus something to send the friends you are bringing home.
Returning masqueraders
You want the facts fast: themes, sections, registration links, results and the history behind the traditions you already love.
Editorial standards
When sources disagree, we trust them in this order, and we say so on the page when the disagreement matters.
- 1
Official bodies
The National Carnival Commission (NCC) and other official Carnival and government sources, for schedules, competitions and results.
- 2
Archives and scholarship
NALIS (the National Library and Information System Authority), The University of the West Indies (UWI) and published research, for history and traditions.
- 3
Bands, promoters and artists
Official websites and verified social accounts, for themes, prices, registration, event times and line-ups.
- 4
Reputable press
Established newspapers and broadcasters, used to confirm and add context, and named in the sources on each page.
House rules
Every fact has a source
Pages list their sources at the bottom, with links, so you can check our work.
Unconfirmed means labelled
If we cannot confirm something with a good source, it carries a Needs review label until we can. We would rather say so than guess.
Times are Trinidad time
Dates and times are in Atlantic Standard Time (AST, UTC-4). Trinidad and Tobago does not change its clocks, so this holds all year.
Prices carry a date
Costume and ticket prices change every season, so each price range shows when it was checked.
Carnival dates are calculated
Carnival Monday and Tuesday fall 48 and 47 days before Easter Sunday, so we compute them rather than copy them.
How listings are verified
Bands, events and local services are checked against the organiser's official website or verified social accounts, and where we can, with the organiser directly by email. A listing we have checked shows a verified mark and the date we last checked it. Anything submitted through our listing form is reviewed the same way before it goes live.
Being listed is not an endorsement. If a business is a commercial partner, its link carries a visible “Partner” label, and paid placements are always labelled. We never suggest that a band, promoter or business recommends us, or that we recommend them because they pay us. Our affiliate disclosure has the details.
What the labels mean
- Verified
- We checked the details against an official source on the date shown.
- Needs review
- We have not yet confirmed every detail. Check with the organiser.
- Partner
- We may earn a commission if you book through this link.
Corrections
Found a wrong date, a broken link or a history detail you can source better? Email corrections@socacarnival.com with the page address and, if you have one, a source we can check.
We aim to respond within three working days, and faster for dates, times and safety information during Carnival season. When we fix a fact, we update the page and its verified date. If a correction changes the meaning of a page, we add a note on that page saying what changed.
Independence
Soca Carnival is independent. We are not affiliated with the National Carnival Commission, any government body, or any band, promoter, artist or venue. Band names, logos and event names belong to their owners, and we use them only to identify who we are writing about.
Images and credits
We only show real photographs when we have the right to. Every photo is credited, with a link back to the photographer or source wherever one exists.
Some illustrative images are generated with AI. They are labelled as AI-generated wherever they appear and are never used to show a real band, costume, person or event.
If you own an image and want it credited differently or removed, email corrections@socacarnival.com.
Where our images come from
- Press kits: supplied by bands, promoters or artists for media use.
- Permission: photos we have written permission from the photographer or owner to use.
- Creative Commons and public domain: for example from Wikimedia Commons, used under the stated licence.
- Unsplash and Pexels: used under their free licences, and credited anyway.
- Our own work: including the generated mas patterns you see where we have no licensed photo.
The editorial desk
Soca Carnival Editors
Articles on this site are published under the Soca Carnival Editors byline, the editorial desk behind the guide. The desk researches, writes and updates every page, from band profiles to the Trini dictionary.
We use software, including AI tools, to help gather research and draft pages. That is exactly why we are strict about sources: every fact links to where it came from, and anything we have not been able to confirm is labelled until we have. If you spot something that does not hold up, we want to hear it.