What is billed as ‘The Mother of All Carnivals’, Trinidad &Tobago Carnival 2023 was launched yesterday, November 5^th, 2022 at the Queens Park Savannah; the carnival is scheduled for February 20th and 21st 2023.

“The Mother of all Carnivals” will feature several new innovations to the Carnival Schedule including a Park and Ride service to and from the Queen’s Park Savannah, electronic ticket sales, free Wi-Fi Internet service and the addition of a Dimanche Gras after-party. “ National Carnival Commission (NCC) Chairman Winston “Gypsy” Peters said during the launch.

“Gypsy” also stated that the North Stand will return to the Savannah’s Carnival landscape for the 2023 carnival.

According to the Sunday Express, the “Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts Randall Mitchell said in addition to the new changes and innovations, special emphasis will also be placed on security for Carnival 2023.”

With everything under the sun that is part of TnT carnival being on display, the launch started with traditional carnival characters such as Fancy Indians, Bats, Pierrot Grenades, Midnight Robbers, Baby Dolls, Dame Lorraine, Fancy Sailors, Moko Jumbies and Jab Molassies, together with Tamboo bamboo, and Oil-time ‘Pan-round-the-neck’ parading down the Savannah’s famous ‘Barber Greene’ into the Grand Stand.

The show began, two hours behind schedule, with patrons in the ‘Mega of Carnival’ being treated to the sweet sound of Exodus Steel Orchestra playing tribute to the late soca icon Blaxx (Dexter Stewart) followed by the Skiffle Bunch Steel Orchestra. The night saw Ronnie McIntosh and Super Blue, two soca icons of yesteryear, adding back the sound of live brass to the carnival musical palette and Nishaard M bringing the rhythms and beauty of Chutney soca into the mix. Other artistes to hit the stage included  Sugar Aloes, Terri Lyons, Bunji Garlin, Aaron Duncan, Swappi, Dev, and many others.