Caribbean Airlines took me to Jamaica Carnival 2023

Freed from the Covid Pandemic lockdowns and protocols, Caribbean Carnivals returned to action in 2023 with Trinidad, the Mecca being followed soon after by our Northern neighbors, Jamaica and their Carnival celebrations in April. Caribbean Airlines took me to the land of reggae, ackee and Rastafarianism to explore their Carnival festivities.

Xodus United on the Road!

The beating hearts of thousands of revelers were completely filled and satisfied last Sunday with the culmination of Jamaica Carnival 2023 and what is called their “Road March” (actual mas parade) through the streets of Kingston. The largest band in Jamaica, the Xodus Mas band displayed an excellent show of unity on the road as they successfully merged with the oldest band there, the Bacchanal Mas band. Together, they attracted, serviced and enjoyed the festivities with roughly 4,000 masqueraders playing mas and having a grand time in the corporate area as the trucks made their rounds in Kingston.

Managing Director of Dream Entertainment, co-owners of Xodus, Scott Dunn remarked on the number of revelers and their satisfaction with the execution of Carnival 2023:

“We had about 4,000 masqueraders jumping with us on the road this year and we will be doubling our resources to ensure that we are prepared to accommodate even more patrons next year.” Said Dunn. “Carnival 2023 was a memorable season for us, we did a lot of groundwork this year to serve our loyalists and in the end, we are happy that all partnerships, collaborations and sponsorships came together to execute carnival on a positive high. I am pleased, the team is pleased and we want to thank all our partners and guests for supporting us - we are definitely looking forward to next year!”

Many local and international revelers expressed pleasure, satisfaction and gratitude with Xodus’ execution on the road, although there were some unfortunate situations due to the flooding in Florida that occurred mere days before the actual parade.

First timer to Jamaica Carnival, Celeste Singh was pleased with her experience and is already planning a trip back next year:

“It was my first time doing carnival in Jamaica and I have to say that I enjoyed my time here - the people, the food, the vibe, everything was magical. I am already thinking about booking my ticket to come back again next year,” she explained.

“It was an awesome experience. It was good seeing two great bands, Xodus and Bacchanal coming together - definitely iconic,” said Stacey Ward.

The band’s costumes were definitely a hit among revelers and they stood out and made a mark on the streets of Kingston. Xodus was the first band to have all their costumes sold out, three days before the event and to be sure, the carnival babes and slayers were out in their costumes - bejeweled and adorned from head to toe as they glistened in the sunlight. Xodus led a fleet of eleven branded trailers, which included: Campari, Smirnoff, First Rock, Hennessy, Doritos, Zip FM, Bio Life, Carnival in Jamaica, Lucozade, Aria and JamDex. The Jamaican Road March commenced from on Waterloo Road and ended at Xodus’ Devon House Sponsor Zone at 6:00 pm.