One of the bands popularly known as Calas Vegas Carnival has won the 2024 Carnival Calabar, Africa’s most prominent 12km street party in Cross River.
The band that won in 2023 again won the contest after competing with six other bands, including Passion 4, Freedom, Bayside, Masta Blasta, and Seagull. The band has been announced as the overall winner of the carnival competition.
The Seagull band, controlled by one-time senator Florence Ita-Giwa, who represents the Cross River South Senatorial district at the National Assembly, won second place. The Bayside band took third place in the contest.
In accordance with the 2024 Carnival theme, “Our Share Prosperity, ”each band, along with other non-competitive bands, covered the 12km carnival route. The route kicked off from Millennium Park (Eleven, Eleven roundabout Calabar Cenotaph) through Mary Slessor Avenue and walked to the UJ Essuene Stadium, where the judges finally announced the competition‘s results.
Each year, revellers adorn themselves in glitzy, colourful costumes and dance through 12 Kilometers in the Calabar metropolis. Each carnival band dances to the tune of Afrobeat music played from several loudspeakers that accompany the bands from the Millennium Park via Mary Slessor roundabout, Marian, MCC by Mobile junction to Murtala Mohammed highway and adjudicate at the UJ Esuene Sports Stadium for the competition’s results.
Every December of each year since the carnival Calabar festival was introduced into the state about two decades ago by former Governor Donald Duke, the ceremony usually attracts tourists from all nooks and crannies of the world to celebrate the Christmas festival.
