Caribbean Airlines took me to Jamaica Carnival 2023


Freed from the Covid Pandemic lockdowns and protocols, Caribbean Carnivals returned to action in 2023 with Trinidad, the Mecca being followed soon after by our Northern neighbors, Jamaica and their Carnival celebrations in April. Caribbean Airlines took me to the land of reggae, ackee and Rastafarianism to explore their Carnival festivities.

Emmy-Award Winning Designer, Lila Nikole inspired to start on Trinidad Carnival 2024 designs


Emmy-Award winning costume and mas designer, Lila Nikole is already preparing for Trinidad Carnival 2024 after having a wonderful experience at the recently concluded Jamaica Carnival in Kingston with the Xodus Carnival band. Speaking with Overtime Media, she shared her reviews on Jamaica’s Carnival celebrations:

“Jamaica Carnival is always a vibe! It was amazing to see all of my favorite Soca artistes on the road and at the fetes. We were able to enjoy some dancehall, alongside Soca hits and chill the days away. I’m missing carnival already, so I have to start working on the next ones coming like Miami and start looking forward to Trinidad next year also.”

Managing Director of Dream Entertainment, Scott Dunn alongside Aidonia before his epic performance on the road

Xodus United on the Road!


The beating hearts of thousands of revelers were completely filled and satisfied last Sunday with the culmination of Jamaica Carnival 2023 and what is called their “Road March” (actual mas parade) through the streets of Kingston. The largest band in Jamaica, the Xodus Mas band displayed an excellent show of unity on the road as they successfully merged with the oldest band there, the Bacchanal Mas band. Together, they attracted, serviced and enjoyed the festivities with roughly 4,000 masqueraders playing mas and having a grand time in the corporate area as the trucks made their rounds in Kingston.


Managing Director of Dream Entertainment, co-owners of Xodus, Scott Dunn remarked on the number of revelers and their satisfaction with the execution of Carnival 2023:

“We had about 4,000 masqueraders jumping with us on the road this year and we will be doubling our resources to ensure that we are prepared to accommodate even more patrons next year.” Said Dunn. “Carnival 2023 was a memorable season for us, we did a lot of groundwork this year to serve our loyalists and in the end, we are happy that all partnerships, collaborations and sponsorships came together to execute carnival on a positive high. I am pleased, the team is pleased and we want to thank all our partners and guests for supporting us - we are definitely looking forward to next year!”


Many local and international revelers expressed pleasure, satisfaction and gratitude with Xodus’ execution on the road, although there were some unfortunate situations due to the flooding in Florida that occurred mere days before the actual parade.

First timer to Jamaica Carnival, Celeste Singh was pleased with her experience and is already planning a trip back next year:

“It was my first time doing carnival in Jamaica and I have to say that I enjoyed my time here - the people, the food, the vibe, everything was magical. I am already thinking about booking my ticket to come back again next year,” she explained.

“It was an awesome experience. It was good seeing two great bands, Xodus and Bacchanal coming together - definitely iconic,” said Stacey Ward.


The band’s costumes were definitely a hit among revelers and they stood out and made a mark on the streets of Kingston. Xodus was the first band to have all their costumes sold out, three days before the event and to be sure, the carnival babes and slayers were out in their costumes - bejeweled and adorned from head to toe as they glistened in the sunlight. Xodus led a fleet of eleven branded trailers, which included: Campari, Smirnoff, First Rock, Hennessy, Doritos, Zip FM, Bio Life, Carnival in Jamaica, Lucozade, Aria and JamDex. The Jamaican Road March commenced from on Waterloo Road and ended at Xodus’ Devon House Sponsor Zone at 6:00 pm.

Co-director of Bacchanal Jamaica, Michael Ammar was prepared for Road March 2023

Chairman of Dream Entertainment, Kamal Bankay leads revellers along the roadway to ensure that they are safe

Most masqueraders satisfied...


“The amount of love we received from the Masqueraders in my Tutti Frutti section was exhilarating,” said Nikole, who also fielded designs with YUMA and Tribe at Trinidad Carnival 2023.

“I talked to so many people who shared their complete satisfaction and joy with the quality, fit and durability of the costume. We put a lot of love into making these costumes for everyone, so it felt amazing to have everyone contented! Xodus is family and always shows me so much love, so I’m glad we executed to perfection and had a fabulous time on the road.”


The band’s costumes were definitely a hit among revelers and they stood out and made a mark on the streets of Kingston. Xodus was the first band to have all their costumes sold out, three days before the event and to be sure, the carnival babes and slayers were out in their costumes - bejeweled and adorned from head to toe as they glistened in the sunlight. Xodus led a fleet of eleven branded trailers, which included: Campari, Smirnoff, First Rock, Hennessy, Doritos, Zip FM, Bio Life, Carnival in Jamaica, Lucozade, Aria and JamDex. The Jamaican Road March commenced from on Waterloo Road and ended at Xodus’ Devon House Sponsor Zone at 6:00 pm.


Following her Jamaica Carnival experience, Nikole said she intends to bring a slate of US Celebrities to Trinidad Carnival next year and is preparing to initiate talks with Tourism Trinidad and other relevant stakeholders to facilitate this objective.

"What happened in Jamaica with Chance The Rapper, Omarion and others can also happen in different ways and bring more spotlight to Trinidad," she enthused. "We just need to plan, coordinate and organize things in advance because the interest and the demand for this experience already exists - especially amongst the US Celebrities and artists. Of course, Jamaica is a bit more tourist-oriented and savvy, so they have a lot of the services in place already, but with Trinidad being the mecca of Carnival, we can definitely partner with the right brands, stakeholders and suppliers to cultivate memorable and even life-changing experiences that will shine more light and attract even more visitors to the island for Carnival every year."

Emmy-Award Winning Designer, Lila Nikole shows off her branded lollipop as part of her "Tutti Fruitti" section in Xodus Carnival Mas Band at Jamaica Carnival 2023