Culturama

Origins and history

The festival traces its beginnings to 1974. Members of the Nevis Dramatic and Cultural Society, also known as NEDACS, developed the concept during an early 1974 gathering. They established the event as a local celebration of traditional customs and community life. The organizers sought to create an island counterpart to the various carnivals held across the wider Caribbean region. Since that founding year, the festival has grown into a major annual observance for the island of Nevis, serving as an important cultural fixture on the local calendar.

How it is kept

The festivities unfold over several days with nightly musical events, concerts and social gatherings. Local food festivals form part of the schedule, offering opportunities to share meals and celebrate island heritage together. Family members and friends who have relocated overseas frequently travel back to the island during this period to take part in the festivities. The carnival reaches its peak with an early morning procession that winds through the centre of Charlestown, filling the streets with music and community celebration.

Community and homecoming

At its heart, Culturama serves as a homecoming for Nevisians living abroad. The timing in late summer allows those who have moved away to return to their home island and reunite with loved ones. It combines traditional carnival elements with an explicit focus on preserving local heritage. Through continuous music, street performances and communal gatherings, the festival reinforces ties between the local population and the broader Nevisian diaspora.

How Culturama is kept

The celebration spans multiple days with nightly musical performances, live stage concerts, parties and food festivals. Residents and returning emigrants join together across the island to share meals and celebrate local heritage. The schedule of festivities builds up to a major final event, when participants gather for an early morning march through the streets of downtown Charlestown.

When and where

The festival is celebrated each year, running from late July into the early days of August. This midsummer timeframe provides a regular annual date for both local residents and visiting family members from abroad.

Culturama takes place on the island of Nevis, part of the federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean. Key festivities and the culminating street parade are centered in downtown Charlestown.

What Culturama means

The festival represents Nevisian pride and the preservation of island heritage. By bringing together island residents with family and friends who have moved away, Culturama functions as an important homecoming. It reaffirms local cultural traditions through music, shared feasts, and communal street processions.

Questions people ask about Culturama

See also

La festival de CapisterreA September community festival uniting four villages in the Capisterre region of Saint Kitts and Nevis.Moko JumbieA stilt-walking tradition from the Caribbean that blends African heritage with local carnival celebrations.Mummers' playA comic folk drama of staged combat, death, and revival by an eccentric doctorChristmasA festival of Jesus's birth, kept on 25 December with gifts, lights and shared meals

Good reading and sources

• Culturama on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• Wikidata recordOpen data

It may contain mistakes. Traditions differ from one family, village and community to the next, and the people who keep them know them best. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-05.