The government minister overseeing Crop Over has pushed back against public criticism of the festival, defending not only the scale of the celebrations but their cultural integrity.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office with responsibility for Culture, Senator Shantal Munro-Knight said 2025 had so far delivered some of the largest audiences on record, noting rising participation from schools and communities, growing interest from Grand Kadooment bands, and citing these as signs that the festival remains deeply rooted in Barbadian identity.
“People have been saying for Crop Over, whether their concerns are about safety, [or] how the Crop Over events are going,” Munro-Knight told journalists recently.
“It still amazes me that we are seeing some of the largest audiences coming out to events in 2025 than we’ve seen in the past.”
She pointed to the Crop Over launch and Pandemonium as examples of events with massive crowds.
On radio call-in shows and social media, some members of the public have questioned whether Crop Over is losing its cultural essence, pointing to what they describe as a decline in traditional bands and the absence of elements they believe once defined the festival.
The minister addressed concerns, arguing that cultural heritage is not only present but thriving, particularly among the youth.
She highlighted the Ceremonial Delivery of the Last Canes as a clear demonstration of tradition being upheld.
“All of the traditional elements that you have within Barbadian society… were there,” Munro-Knight said, referring to Mr Harding as one of them.
She described Junior Kadooment as a major success, not only in turnout but as proof that Barbadian culture and heritage remain strong.
“If you look at the costumes and the level of costumes and what was put on there, it tells us that the culture and heritage is still embedded. We may want to look for it in other places, but if we look at youth and what young people mean, that is where we are seeing it,” she said.
Munro-Knight credited this to deliberate investment by the National Cultural Foundation (NCF), which she said trained over 1 000 school children in masquerade design and performance, while also teaching teachers how to build costumes and support band development in communities.
“That didn’t come by accident,” she said. “That came specifically by investment by the National Cultural Foundation… and that’s the investment that we made as well.”
The minister also noted a resurgence in Grand Kadooment interest, revealing that more bands have registered this year than in 2024, calling it a signal of public confidence in the festival’s direction.
“It says something about people seeing the Crop Over Festival again as something that they want to be part of,” she said.
According to her, the Junior Monarch competition further demonstrated the festival’s cultural depth, with young calypsonians performing lyrics that tackled weighty issues such as crime and mental health with emotional maturity.
“Some people have said it’s perhaps rivalling the main finales…The lyrics are on point. Those young people are handling big issues like crime… in a mature way.”
She named a few artists who are now seen on main tent stages, noting that they passed through the Junior Monarch programme, illustrating the long-term impact of sustained investment in youth and cultural development.
“We are building for tomorrow. The investment that we are doing today, the intent again is that we will see it in the future,” she said.
Munro-Knight also encouraged Barbadians to support the calypso tents, where many of these young voices are now finding platforms to shine.
“All of that is about development and investment that we are doing,” she added.
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