The 2025 Carnival Calabar, a month-long festival of music, dance, and theatrical spectacle, drew to a triumphant close on December 30th, culminating two decades of evolution for what is now widely recognized as Africa’s biggest street party. The 20th-anniversary edition served not just as a celebration, but as a living museum of Nigerian and African cultural expression, tracing a journey from a local initiative to a global tourism phenomenon.
For the first time since its inception, the Carnival fully embraced the theme ‘Traces of Time’, challenging the five competing bands—Freedom, Seagull, Passion 4, Masta Blasta, and the victorious Calas Vegas Band—to interpret Nigeria’s history through performance. The result was a moving narrative told in fabric, rhythm, and motion. Performances spanned from pre-colonial traditions and the resilience of the transatlantic era to the dynamism of modern Nigeria and visions of a digital future, creating a powerful, choreographed timeline along the 12-kilometer parade route from Millennium Park to U.J. Usuene Stadium.
At the official flag-off, Cross River State Governor, Sen. Bassey Otu, framed the Carnival’s significance in terms of ‘ingenuity, resilience, continuity, and sustainability.’ He paid tribute to the visionary chain of leadership: former Governor Donald Duke, who birthed the concept in 2004 as an economic and cultural catalyst; Liyel Imoke, who institutionalized it; and Ben Ayade, who navigated the unprecedented challenge of sustaining the carnival spirit through the COVID-19 pandemic with scaled-back or virtual editions.
Governor Otu struck a firm note on quality, signaling a strategic shift for the Carnival’s future. “Not all aspiring groups will qualify for top billing,” he stated, emphasizing that only “quintessential performance” would earn elevation. This underscores a deliberate move from pure expansion to curated excellence, aiming to solidify Carnival Calabar’s brand as a world-class event. The benefits, he noted, extend far beyond entertainment, driving tourism growth, fostering cultural exchange, and providing unmatched global visibility for the state and Nigeria.
The economic heartbeat of the Carnival, however, is found in its bustling informal sector. For small-scale traders, the festival is a critical annual revenue engine. Blessing Bassey, a roasted plantain and fish seller, represents thousands who rely on the event. “My business is boosted during the festivities and helps support my household needs for months after,” she shared. This micro-economic impact is a cornerstone of the Carnival’s sustainability, creating a direct livelihood link with the local community.
The celebrations seamlessly blended formal competition with public revelry. While judges scored elaborate band performances, the city itself transformed into a massive, open-air party. Streets overflowed with locals, domestic tourists, and a significant diaspora population. VIP tables along the route commanded prices as high as N500,000, highlighting the event’s economic stratification and appeal. The energy continued past the parade at the Carnival Music Concert, where headline acts like Timaya and Tiwa Savage performed into the dawn, after which dedicated revellers simply refreshed for the next day’s street parties.
In the final adjudication, Calas Vegas Band emerged as the 2025 champion of the fiercely competitive Main Carnival category. Other winners included Freedom Band (Junior Carnival), Rivers State (Cultural Carnival State), and Calabar South (Cultural Carnival Local Government Area). These victories are not merely titles; they come with prestige, funding, and the right to set the creative bar for the following year.
As the dust settles on the 20th anniversary, the path forward is clear. Attendees like Love Etim, a teacher, noted “improved seating arrangements and greater visual diversity.” The challenge for stakeholders is to build on this by continuously refining logistics, enhancing visitor experience, and empowering the bands to deliver ever-more-innovative interpretations of the annual theme. Having cemented its legacy, Carnival Calabar’s next decade will be defined by its ability to balance massive scale with artistic integrity, ensuring it remains not just the biggest street party in Africa, but also one of its most culturally profound and economically impactful.
