Parade Of Bands 2026 - Carnival Tuesday

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Tobago police have reported a safe J’ouvert morning across the island.

Senior Superintendent Rodhill Kirk confirmed that no incidents were reported.

Two J’ouvert celebrations were held in Crown Point and Roxborough.

Revellers began taking to the streets from as early as 4am, although celebrations in both Tobago East and Tobago West experienced a delayed start.

As the sun rose just before 7am, scores of masqueraders filled the streets, bringing paint, powder and pulsating rhythms, along with a touch of traditional Carnival portrayals. In Crown Point, several tourists joined in the festivities, embracing a taste of Trinidad and Tobago’s culture.

Carnival Monday activities in Tobago continued in Tobago East, featuring the Parade of the Bands and Mud Mas festivities.

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Curtis Eustace and Roxanne Omalo will remain Carnival King and Queen for 2026.

Both were able to successfully defend their titles at the finals of the Senior Queens and Kings of Carnival competition on Dimanche Gras.

Omalo, portraying “Duchess of the Dark Skies,” scored 431 points in the Queen competition, while Eustace's “Spirit of Mandingo, Ah African Legend” took first place with 437 points in the Kings.

Omalo's win in the 2026 competition marked a hat-trick, while Sunday's victory marked the 11th title overall for Eustace.

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Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC joined devotees at the Patiram Trace Shiva Lingam Temple in Penal on Sunday night as part of her tour of South Trinidad temples for Maha Shivratri.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister extended greetings to devotees and thanked them for their continued support over the years.

"I want to say Shubh Maha Shivaratri to every single one of you. Keep the faith. Keep the strength as you pray from dusk to dawn because tonight is from dusk to dawn. I pray with you for all Lord Shiva's blessings to you and to your families, all your loved ones, for the best in the days to come."

She reminded worshippers that while some days may be more challenging than others, resilience and faith remain key.

"Some days are harder than others but once we stand our ground and put one foot in front of the other and sit strong, all blessings will come to every one of us. Tonight, I offer you all the blessings I can and I ask you to stay strong. On the weak days, stay strong and on the strong days, become stronger."

The Prime Minister also expressed gratitude to temple leaders and supporters before continuing her visits to other temples across South Trinidad.

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While most of Trinidad and Tobago prepared for the vibrant Carnival festivities, the Hindu community observed Maha Shivratri, the “Great Night of Shiva” on Sunday.

Shiva is a Hindu deity symbolising transformation, regeneration of the universe and the one who helps navigate change.

Pundit Shiva Janak Maharaj explained the significance behind the Maha Shivratri observance.

"It really is the celebration of the union of Shiv and Shakti. That's the masculine and the feminine energies of Bhagwan, and celebrating in this way, when we celebrate, we join together, we worship both of them together. For example, the Lingam, which is officiated and we pray to especially on this night, we see that it has the upright part, which is known as the Lingam, and then you have the Yoni, which is the base which holds the Lingam. That is the Shiv and Shakti that union together that makes the full energy of this entire universe, and that is the energy that we worship on this great night of Maha Shivratri."

Pundit Maharaj added that the event also seeks to cultivate harmony and unity among participants, community members, and the nation at large.

"As we have in our mandir here, we have the Shiv Parivar for the whole family of Bhagwan Shiv, and here we have showing that that family unity and that family harmony must start at home, and that harmony will then go out into their villages, into your country, into the entire world, that harmony will continue to spread."

The celebration began on Sunday and ended on Monday morning.

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TTT Limited is apologising for the audio interruption during Helon Francis’ performance at Sunday’s National Calypso Monarch Final at Dimanche Gras.

The disruption, which occurred around 10:30pm, was caused by a Dante network routing error that resulted in a total loss of audio signal to the broadcast, although the live audience at the Queen’s Park Savannah continued to experience the show without disruption.

Engineers restored the signal by 10:45pm, but because the issue happened at the audio source, there was no clean recording available for immediate playback.

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Tobago’s football community is in mourning following the tragic death of one of its players in a road traffic accident on Sunday.

Shakeel Shade, recorded as Tobago’s first road fatality for 2026, died after his motorcycle collided with a vehicle in Canaan.

According to police reports, around 11pm on February 15th, Shade, of Mason Hall, was riding along Milford Road, in the vicinity of the Save Value Supermarket, when he crashed into a vehicle that was parked along the roadway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Shade was the son of Innovative Democratic Alliance Mason Hall North/Moriah candidate Shelly-Ann Lewis, who recently contested a seat in the 2026 Tobago House of Assembly election. He was also a member of Plymouth Stokley Vale FC.

In a Facebook tribute, the club described him as more than a talented footballer, calling him a teammate, a friend and a valued member of their football family.

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Parade Of Bands 2026 - Carnival Monday

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"We are here to secure the vibes while you enjoy the vibes."

The words of Gold Commander for Carnival 2026, DCP Suzette Martin, who shared that 75% of police officers will be on duty for Carnival to ensure optimum security.

"As the sun rises on Carnival Monday, our officers are fully deployed, and we are ready to secure Trinidad and Tobago as they enjoy themselves. What I would like to say is for everyone to celebrate responsibly, look out for one another, and enjoy the joy and unity of Carnival in Trinidad and Tobago."

Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro issued a call to the public to cooperate with law enforcement to ensure a safe Carnival 2026.

"We have the Fire Service, we have Customs, we have Immigration, everybody on board. So I'm asking the TTPS and the members of the public now to get on board with the TTPS as we make Carnival safe, and if you see something, say something."

Meanwhile, Minister of Homeland Security Roger Alexander has urged citizens to take personal responsibility and avoid conflict.

Responding to a stabbing incident during J’ouvert celebrations in St. James, he said while police did all they could, law enforcement can’t be everywhere at the same time.

"I think one person was stabbed. And what happens is this. You know, we often speak about what we see. There are persons who are having issues with other persons. If you know you're having issues with other persons, stay home. Police would have done everything in their power to try to stop some of these things, but you can't be in every place at the same time. We are hoping that persons are so responsible enough to govern themselves. That is not happening. So you tend to wonder, did we meet a lawless society? And the answer is probably yes."

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