Parliamentary Representative of the Margiot Constituency, Anthony Charles, has called for the early planning of Mas Domnik 2026, amongst other measures designed to enhance the island’s Carnival product.
His comment came during his response to the $1.2 + billion National Budget for the 2025/2026 Fiscal Year on Monday.
“Mas Domnik is ready for the next level. Let’s plan early, pay on time, build on new trends, and package our culture with pride,” he urged. “ The talent is here, the passion is here, the world is ready. We just have to organise ourselves to step boldly into the spotlight.”
According to him, Carnival is not just entertainment, it is culture, identity, business, and tourism, and he believes that the government is in a position to build on the gains made in 2025 and truly revamp Mas Domnica into a premier regional event.
“Because last carnival, the tourism sector did well, ” he said. “The flux of diaspora. foreigners, we saw the change and we saw the [economic] value of it…”
Charles argued that there is no reason a contestant should leave the Windsor Park Sports Stadium, (the main venue to stage the events), “without their prize cheque in their hand.”
“We have a budget, we have a carnival budget. There is no reason a contestant should leave the stadium without their prize cheque in their hand,” Charles remarked. “These payments are part of the carnival budget. They are known [for] months in advance; the budget is presented. Let’s remove that drama and delay. If we are serious about elevating our culture, we must respect the people who create it.”
Moreover, he said Dominica is known for its daybreak culture, “We party harder in the early morning [and] events have brought thousands of people out before sunrise to dance, mingle, and celebrate.”
“We need to embrace that energy and formalize it, because it’s already proven to be a huge attraction for both locals and visitors,” he urged. “They’re enjoying it. Let’s work with event promoters, provide basic infrastructure support, and ensure safety and cleanliness so it becomes a permanent and well-run fix on the carnival calendar.”
Charles continued, “ We need to buy into this because the Jouvert thing is the thing right now.”
Furthermore, he called for the extension of the carnival week.
“For example, Antigua has shown us something smart. The T-shirt band is on a Saturday, the weekend before carnival. So, not everybody wanted to be in the masquerade, the costume band. So you have a T-shirt band. But everybody had to run home to come back. Let’s extend the carnival week,” Charles said. “Let’s give the T-shirt band on Saturday, complete with the live band [and] DJs.”
Charles added, “It would give local designers, vendors, and food booths another day to earn, create early tourism arrivals and longer hotel stays, [and offer] more inclusive options for those who are not in the full costume band. Mr. Speaker, it’s simple. Give people more value and they will come. They will spend and they will promote Dominica far and wide.”
He also advised organizers on ways to improve the marketing aspect of Mas Domnik 2026.
“There’s no reason our Queen show, Calypso show, and Jouvert shouldn’t be streamed live, professionally-produced and pushed online to the diaspora,” he remarked. “That’s how we grow revenue, not just through arrival but through content and cultural export.”
Mr. Charles not everything people does for us to copy.. Saturday is also a day of worship in Dominica and presumably the rest of the planet, so we have to respect that..
well said!
All good suggestions brother. I hope they take them seriously. I’m sure this isn’t the first time someone has given them ideas to enhance our Carnival and other festivities. But I like what you said about the contestants leaving the stage with their prize checks when they win at shows. The government needs to do better,ensure people are paid promptly and things are done in an organized matter. It’s getting better but more can be done and we need to keep being the biggest critics until it is perfected. So great job on mentioning all these suggestions sir.