Tobago Carnival Adds Glowing Mud and First Road March Competition

Mud will take a prominent role in Tobago Carnival celebrations, with Rox-glo introducing its first mud edition and the island preparing to stage its first Carnival Road March competition, according to Tobago Festivals Commission Chief Executive Officer Kern Cowan. The programme is set to begin with the Monarchs of Mas competition in Scarborough on Thursday evening, before attention turns to Roxborough for Rox-glo. Speaking at a media briefing on Tuesday, Cowan said preparations were in place for activities leading into the main celebrations during the last week of October. This year’s theme is Mud, Mas and Music. Cowan said thousands of people had already registered for Rox-glo, where participants would encounter different forms of mud, including a glowing variety. Mud will also feature at J’ouvert on Saturday, October 31. At least four mud bands have registered, according to Cowan. Organisers also plan to provide mud stations so participants in other bands can join in. Alongside those preparations, registration has opened for Tobago Carnival’s inaugural Road March competition. Entry is restricted to Tobagonian artistes, and the winner will receive $75,000. Cowan said artistes can register more than one song. He described the eligibility period as running from Ash Wednesday 2026 to the present, allowing performers to enter current material released within that window. Bands taking part in J’ouvert, Night Mas, Traditional Mas and Pretty Mas are being encouraged to play more music by Tobagonian artistes as part of efforts to promote the island’s music. Road March judging will take place at three points: Market Square, the Barcode area along the waterfront on Calypso Rose Boulevard, and a location on the Claude Noel Highway along the parade route. Those judging points and the registration process form part of preparations for a new competition within this year’s Carnival programme.