Antigua´s Carnival Came of Age Full of Festive Spirit in 2005

This year´s Antigua and Barbuda Carnival was the most successful in the 49 year history of the summer festival.

Neil Cochrane, Chairman of the Antigua Carnival Development Committee, said this year´s festival, dubbed the "Caribbean´s Greatest Summer Festival: Keeping the Wadadli Spirit Alive" saw record numbers of patrons attending all of the events, registering a double-digit percent increase over 2004.

He said the island “was choc-o-block with visitors” from the Caribbean and the traditional markets of North America and Europe, and attributed the full house to the destination´s new partnership with Black Entertainment Television network which heavily promoted the festival with thirty-second spots running on BET and BET Jazz from February to July this year.

The carnival chief said the alliance with the network continues beyond the carnival season as the production crew which covered the festivities is also making a 20 minute feature on Antigua and its Carnival to run on BET and BET Jazz from the Fall through the Spring of 2006.