Spicemas

Spicemas is Grenada's carnival, held every August and culminating on the second Monday and Tuesday of the month. The Grenada Tourism Authority calls it the crown jewel of Grenada's culture: a festival of colour, music, costume and masquerade, with soca, calypso and pageant competitions and many fetes in the days before the parades. It is organised by the Spicemas Corporation, the statutory body responsible for promoting and running Grenada's carnival and its official events.

Among its traditional characters are the Jab Jab, or Devil Mas, bands. The Spicemas Corporation describes them emerging from the darkness before dawn on Carnival Monday to parade freely through the town. Traditionally they blackened themselves with molasses, tar or mud and wore horned helmets to frighten onlookers; today they are joined by Blue, Yellow and Green Devils, who are more playful and dab body paint on bystanders. Each parish also keeps its own traditional mas characters, such as the Short Knee, Vieux Corps and Wild Indians, who appear alongside the costumed Fancy Mas bands.

This edition

The Spicemas Corporation lists the National Carnival Queen Pageant on Thursday 5 August 2027, the Soca Monarch finals on Friday 6 August, Panorama on Saturday 7 August and Dimanche Gras on Sunday 8 August 2027. J'ouvert and Monday Night Mas are on Monday 9 August 2027, and Fancy Mas, the Tuesday parade of costumed bands, is on Tuesday 10 August 2027. The Spicemas launch, the Traditional Mas Festival and the Children's Carnival Frolic were still listed as to be confirmed when this page was checked, as were start times and ticket details for 2027.

• J'ouvert: in the early hours of Carnival Monday, 9 August 2027, the Jab Jab bands come out before daybreak, with steel drums, calypso and soca, and parade until sunrise.
• Monday Night Mas: on the night of 9 August 2027, masqueraders in neon and glowsticks dance behind DJ trucks through the streets of St George's.
• Fancy Mas: on Tuesday 10 August 2027, bands in beaded and feathered costumes parade, with traditional characters such as Short Knee and Wild Indians. The Spicemas Corporation says the bands cross a judging stage at the National Stadium.
• Dimanche Gras: on Sunday 8 August 2027, the calypso competition and the King and Queen of the Bands, the main show of Carnival Sunday night.
• National Carnival Queen Pageant: on Thursday 5 August 2027, seven contestants, one for each parish, compete for the title of Carnival Queen.
• Panorama: the steel band competition, held on Saturday 7 August 2027.

• St George's: the capital, where J'ouvert, Monday Night Mas and the parades run and the National Stadium is. The Grenada Airports Authority lists the taxi fare from the airport to the town at EC$50 (US$20).
• Grand Anse: the beach area between the airport and St George's. The airport taxi fare is listed at EC$40 (US$16).
• Lance aux Épines: on the south coast near the airport, away from the parade routes, at the same EC$40 (US$16) airport taxi fare as Grand Anse.

By air: Maurice Bishop International Airport (GND) is on Grenada's south-west tip, near Grand Anse and St George's. The Grenada Airports Authority lists British Airways and Virgin Atlantic among the airlines serving the airport, along with Air Canada, Delta, JetBlue and Caribbean Airlines (via Trinidad), plus regional connections through LIAT and SVG Air. Check with the airlines for current routes and days from the UK.

From the airport: taxis wait at the terminal. The Grenada Airports Authority publishes fixed taxi rates: EC$40 (US$16) to Grand Anse or Lance aux Épines, and EC$50 (US$20) to the town of St George's. The airport is open from 06:00 to 21:30 local time.

During carnival: J'ouvert, Monday Night Mas and the parades run through the streets of St George's, and the Fancy Mas bands parade from Melville Street to the National Stadium. The Spicemas Corporation publishes route maps for J'ouvert and the Pageant, and for Monday Night Mas and the Parade of the Bands, on its carnival routes page. Check the routes before arranging taxis on parade days. If you hire a car, the FCDO says you need a temporary Grenadian driving licence.

We don't have a St George's guide yet; see our Grenada guide.

Flight delayed or cancelled on the way? See our Travel Disruption guide for your rights.

J'ouvert, Monday Night Mas and the Tuesday parade take place on the streets of St George's. The shows, including the Carnival Queen Pageant, the Soca Monarch finals, Panorama and Dimanche Gras, are ticketed. The Spicemas Corporation's tickets page links to its ticketing partner, go2fete; when this page was checked it still showed the 2025 shows, and 2027 prices weren't published.

• Timing: J'ouvert starts in the dark in the early hours of Monday, often straight after the Dimanche Gras show, and runs until sunrise. Monday Night Mas is after dark on the same day.
• Paint and oil: at J'ouvert the devils dab paint, and traditionally oil or mud, on bystanders. Wear old clothes you can throw away and keep your phone in a sealed bag.
• Hurricane season: the FCDO says the Caribbean hurricane season normally runs from June to November. Monitor local news and the US National Hurricane Center's warnings, and check your travel insurance.
• Camouflage: the FCDO says it is illegal for anyone in Grenada, including children, to wear camouflage clothing. Leave it out of costumes and J'ouvert outfits.
• Cash and valuables: the FCDO advises not carrying large amounts of cash or jewellery and keeping valuables and documents in your hotel safe. The airport taxi rates are published in both EC$ and US$.
• Local food: the Grenada Tourism Authority says a trip to Grenada should not end without trying the national dish, oil down, a one-pot stew of coconut milk, meat, ground provisions, callaloo and spices.

The Spicemas Corporation doesn't publish accessibility information. The street events are outdoors, in crowds and partly at night, and J'ouvert involves paint and oil. For questions about the shows, contact the organisers on +1 (473) 440-0621 or through their contact page.

The FCDO's Grenada travel advice asks visitors to take particular care around large gatherings, including street and beach parties, to avoid isolated areas, including beaches, after dark, and not to carry large amounts of cash or jewellery. August falls within the Caribbean hurricane season (normally June to November): monitor local news and the US National Hurricane Center. It is illegal to wear camouflage clothing, and there are severe penalties for all drug offences. Sea currents can be strong, and not all beaches have lifeguards. The Spicemas Corporation lists emergency contacts on its emergency services page.

• Before you go, read the UK government's FCDO travel advice for Grenada (entry requirements, safety and local laws).
• Flight delayed or cancelled on the way? See our Travel Disruption guide for your rights and live alerts.