Xodus Wet ignites carnival fever

The reign has officially begun and, if Xodus Wet is any indication, Carnival 2027 is already off to a flying start.

Last Saturday, Port Spectrum in downtown Kingston was transformed into a pulsating sea of colour, music and pure bacchanal as the third staging of Xodus Wet brought hundreds of revellers together for an unforgettable morning of paint, foam and water-soaked fun.

Some eager patrons arrived as early as 4 a.m., determined not to miss a second of the action.

By sunrise, the Kingston waterfront had become a carnival playground. Paint splashed through the air, foam engulfed dance circles, and streams of water sent revellers into a frenzy as DJs Zess, Rico the DJ, Nocturnal, Fatalic, Banka and Tonio delivered a relentless soundtrack of soca, dancehall and Caribbean anthems.

The energy soared even higher when Trinidadian soca star Lyrikal took the stage at 10:21 a.m. From the opening notes, the crowd was locked in, singing along to hits including Look Back, Judgmental, Happy Place and Dip and Roll.

In one of the morning’s most heartfelt moments, he also honoured late soca favourite Ricardo Drue, performing songs from his catalogue, including Professional.

Every corner of the venue told the same story: drenched revellers, paint-covered faces, hands in the air and not a care in sight. The vibe was infectious, with food vendors keeping patrons fuelled and hydrated between dance breaks.

The successful staging comes just days after Xodus unveiled Reign, its costume presentation for the 2027 season, setting the stage for another ambitious road march campaign.

“Xodus Wet is always about giving our masqueraders and carnival lovers an experience that feels uniquely Xodus: energetic, colourful, unapologetic and rooted in Caribbean culture,” said Kamal Bankay, chairman of Xodus Carnival Company. “This year’s event set the tone for what we have planned for Carnival 2027, and we are excited to continue building that momentum as we move towards the road.”

Even when the scheduled end time arrived, the celebration showed little interest in slowing down. With Fatalic keeping the vibes sky-high, revellers squeezed every last drop out of the experience, proving that, for Xodus, the road to Carnival 2027 is already in full swing.