Calabar Carnival: Why Nigeria’s biggest street party rocks

If you have lived in Nigeria for a while, visited or heard about Nigeria lately, there is a big bet that you may have heard of one of the most attended carnivals in the country known as the Calabar Carnival.

Table of Content hide 1What is Calabar carnival? 2History of the Calabar carnival 3Calabar carnival bands 4Calabar Carnival costumes 5Importance of Calabar carnival 5.1Income Generation 5.2Creating jobs 5.3Networking 6Calabar carnival 2022

What is Calabar carnival? 

The Calabar Carnival, commonly referred to as Africa’s biggest street party, takes place in Cross River State in the South-South region of Nigeria. The carnival was established by Donald Duke, the then-governor of Cross River State, as an annual event to commemorate the Christmas season. It takes place throughout December.

Duke stated that his goal in starting the festival was to turn Cross River State into a hub for hospitality and tourism in Nigeria and Africa. Over the years, the event’s calibre has improved, making it Nigeria’s largest carnival and a celebration with a global reputation. 

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History of the Calabar carnival 

The Calabar Carnival was first proposed in the early 2000s by Donald Duke, the-then Governor of Cross River State, Duke had a vision of making the state a centre for tourism and hospitality in Nigeria and Africa, to celebrate and promote local heritage and culture to a wider audience.

The carnival commenced in 2004 and since then, it has grown significantly and is widely referred to as Nigeria’s biggest street party.

A tree-lighting ceremony marks the formal beginning of the Calabar carnival festival. The event’s first three weeks feature musical performances, street parties, art exhibitions, culinary competitions, essay writing contests, masque activities and traditional dances. 

Other major events that take place during the carnival include the naming of the carnival queens and kings for each band, J’ouvert Band fetes (night party), the children’s carnival, the Christmas party cultural carnival, the annual Ekpe masquerade festival, and the Mary Slessor Golf Charity Dinner.

The international carnival takes place at the Stadium around the week of Christmas. Asides from other states in Nigeria, invited African countries also gather at the carnival to showcase their distinct cultural traits through performances, dances, and even acrobatic exhibitions.

Celebrities from Nigeria and even the United States of America attend the carnival in Calabar. Popular American-based female artists, Rihanna and Nicki Minaj, attended the festival in 2012, while John Boyega, a Nigerian-British actor, took part in the carnival in 2017.

Calabar carnival bands

At a press conference conducted in August 2022, Eric Anderson, the Cross River State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, announced that the number of competing carnival bands has expanded from five to seven. According to him, the number of bands was increased to increase participation and patronage, while ensuring that the socioeconomic benefits trickle down.

The existing five bands are:

• Seagull (Red)
• Bayside (Blue)
• Passion 4 (Green)
• Freedom (Yellow)
• Masta Blasta (Orange)

The two new bands are:

• Diamond
• Calas Vegas

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Calabar Carnival costumes 

The Calabar Carnival costumes are renowned to be colourful and unique. The costumes are designed based on the theme of the festival for each year. Each of the competing bands and other participants adorns different costumes, which all tell a story about the carnival.

For the 2022 edition, the carnival’s central planning committee stated the Calabar garment factory has been contracted to create about 10,000 costumes. 

Anderson, the state’s Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, while speaking to journalists on the carnival preparations in August, noted that the costumes would reflect this year’s theme, which he announced is “Go Green”. This, the commissioner said, is in keeping with the state government’s commitment to restoring the forest’s damaged condition. 

“We are considering using 10,000 outfits, the majority of which will be made in our garment factory in Calabar,” Anderson said.

Importance of Calabar carnival 

Since its start in 2004, the Calabar Carnival has, without a doubt, been beneficial to the state’s residents and the state itself. Some of the benefits include:

Income Generation 

Through several businesses and prominent organisations that serve as the festival’s sponsors and partners, the Cross River state government generates money for the festival.

Creating jobs 

The festival has always provided thousands of individuals in the state with both direct and indirect employment opportunities. 

Networking

Through shared activities, the festival has strengthened links between residents of the state and tourists who visit the festival. The carnival participants and tourists also get to mingle and connect, thereby forming life-long friendships.

Calabar carnival 2022

The Carnival Calabar will return in 2022 after a two-year hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Cross River State Government. The 32-day event, the government added, will be reloaded and participatory and will fill the void left by the forced pause.

The government stated that the carnival will transform the state’s economy, noting that both skilled and semi-skilled individuals will be engaged in carrying out various functions. Furthermore, Dr Janet Ekpenyong, leader of the carnival’s health cluster and Director General of the state’s Primary Healthcare Development Agency, has assured that measures would be taken to prevent illness outbreaks during the event.

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