For the history of the festival you have to step back in time to 1st August 1834 when slavery was abolished. People immediately celebrated by taking to the streets to celebrate their freedom and express their joy and happiness. Since then the festival has developed into 10 days of music, dance and revellery, with street marches, jump-ups and formal evening shows – calypso, pan, and Carnival Queen pageants – always around the last week in July the first week in August.
