The 2026 Courtesy Garage Pic-O-De-Crop Finals, powered by Q100.7 FM, will now be staged at CARIFESTA House, Waterford, St Michael, on Friday, July 31.
The National Cultural Foundation (NCF) said this change was occasioned by the announcement that the State Funeral for National Hero The Right Excellent Sir Garfield St Auburn Sobers would be held at Kensington Oval next Wednesday.
The finals were originally scheduled to be held at the historic cricket venue.
“The national farewell to Sir Garry is an occasion of profound significance to Barbados, the Caribbean and the wider cricketing world. The service will be conducted with the full ceremonial arrangements of a State Funeral and requires the close coordination of numerous state agencies and national stakeholders,” a release said.
“Preparations for an occasion of this magnitude extend well beyond the hours of the service itself. They encompass exacting ceremonial, protocol, security, broadcast, technical and operational requirements, together with the careful preparation and subsequent restoration of the venue. Kensington Oval must therefore remain fully available to accommodate the national arrangements and ensure that Sir Garry receives the dignified farewell befitting his status as one of Barbados’ National Heroes.”
Additionally, the short interval between events would not deliver “both occasions at Kensington Oval with the care, safety and professional standard each demands”.
The NCF said although a new venue, CARIFESTA House has been the site of several successfully staged events this Crop Over season, including the Republic Bank Pan Yard Lime, Fusions and the Scotiabank Junior Monarch Finals. The change in venue allows the Pic-O-De-Crop competition to proceed on its originally advertised date while the country fulfils the solemn national responsibility of honouring Sir Garry.
In the meantime, the release continued, the NCF’s technical and operational teams are reviewing all supporting logistics to deliver the best experience for competitors and patrons
“This moment calls upon us to honour, with dignity and unity, the life of a National Hero while preserving the continuity of the calypso tradition through which generations of Barbadians have chronicled the life of our nation. The relocation allows both responsibilities to be met with the care and respect they deserve,” the NCF said. (PR/SAT)
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