Kadooment Day Barbados – 10 Tips for First Timers

1. Plan Ahead

Book your flights and accommodation in advance. The Crop Over Festival sees a large increase in the number of visitors to the island. Secure your accommodation and flights before looking to purchase your Kadooment costume or tickets to events. Most people will book a year in advance.

Tip: Fly into Barbados a few days to a week before the Kadooment Day Monday. There are plenty of Crop Over events on that week that you won’t want to miss.

2. Costume Choices

Grand Kadooment Day costumes launch in April, giving you plenty of time to gush over your favourite outfits and choose a look that suits you. There are many things to consider when choosing your costume. First, you must choose the band you want to ‘jump’ with. Some of our favourites are Aura (Rihanna’s first choice), Baje International and Blue Box Cart. Once you choose a band, browse the various sections, usually separated by colour. Finally, you can choose a glamorous front-line costume or a back-line costume with the option of adding on feathered wings or other features. Order your costume online (in advance) and collect it from the Band House the week before Kadooment. Costumes can range from $300 USD to over $1000 USD.

3. What is included?

Each band will offer different experiences and packages. Usually, the price includes your costume, free drinks on the road, security, DJ’s and live performances on the music trucks, an event cup and other goodies from sponsors. You can upgrade to choose packages that include breakfast and lunch, AC lounges, bathroom passes and more.

4. The Route

Kadooment Day begins bright and early at the National Stadium at 7 am. You parade with your band, in your section in front of judges, TV cameras and spectators at the stadium before hitting the road. The route is 10 km (6 miles) long yet takes roughly 6 – 7 hours to complete, due to the slow ‘chipping’ and dancing down the road. Don’t let the slow pace fool you, Kadooment does require a basic level of fitness, so hit that treadmill a few weeks before you travel.

5. Soca Songs

Hit repeat on your favourite 2019 Crop Over soca mix so that you can learn the best beats before you touch down in Barbados. Every year, local and regional artists release new sweet soca, bashment soca and calypso songs as they compete for one of the many titles like Party Monarch, Bashment Soca King and Road March. Road March is the song that is played the most on the road on Kadooment Day and will be the soundtrack of your best Crop Over memories.

Photo by @deejaypuffy on Instagram

6. Tickets are Gold

Do not wait until the week before an event to decide that you want to attend. Tickets to the best events ALWAYS sell out in advance. Choose your events wisely as ticket prices can add up quickly. We recommend choosing a concert like ‘Tipsy’ with Kes the Band or ‘Rise’ featuring many local and regional artists. You should also buy tickets to a boat party like Scorch or Oh Ship! and a breakfast party like Mimosa or Brek-fus. Most of all, you have got to get tickets to a Foreday morning party. Get covered in paint, mud and powder and party until sunrise. Our favourite Foreday bands are Project X, Mix Nuts and Caesars Army.

Photo by @ohship.barbados on Instagram

7. Kadooment Morning Prep

Set your alarms to be up nice and early to get ready for the best day of your life! First things first, cover your entire body in sunblock. There is minimal shade along the road and your costume will show a lot of skin.  Comfort over fashion! Ladies we highly recommend wearing sneakers rather than boots or heels, your feet will thank you. Speaking of feet, clip your toenails before you hit the road. The constant ‘chipping and dancing’ can lead to losing toenails, clipping them first will minimise the risk of this happening. Head to the starting point at the National Stadium early. Many roads are blocked making traffic in and out of the starting point a nightmare. Once at the stadium, you can take your photos in full costume with your friends. Your costumes won’t look as good throughout the day so get that Instagram shot first thing.

Photo by @charaxa on Instagram

8. Kadooment Day Essentials

Keep a small amount of cash on you. Many food places in Bridgetown market do not accept card. Don’t worry about changing your money, most Taxi Driver or shopkeeper will gladly accept US dollars at the fixed rate of $1 USD = $2 BDS. Barbados does not have Uber or Lyft so you will need cash to catch a taxi to and from the jump to prevent having to walk home. Here is a list of other Kadooment Day essentials.

• Costume
• Sneakers
• Cup
• Tights
• Face Gems / Glitter
• Sunglasses / Hat
• Sunblock
• Fanny Pack
• Cash
• Phone
• Medication you may need

9. Health is Wealth!

Crop Over is non-stop action! Take the time to get proper rest between parties and eat good Bajan food to prevent burning out. Some of our favourite fast, affordable eats include Cuz Cutters, Fish cakes, Flying Fish and Macaroni Pie, and pretty much anything from the ever-popular local fast food company Chefette.

Hydrate, with water that is. For every rum punch you drink have a water. Hydration is key to your health, especially on Kadooment day. Being in the sun for 7 hours while drinking alcohol and dancing along the 10 K route will dehydrate you. Please do not make the rookie mistake of forgetting to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

10. Explore Barbados

Take the time to unwind and see Barbados. Spend the day after Kadooment sitting on the beach or relaxing on a catamaran cruise. Craggy Nook guests get 10% off their catamaran cruise aboard Cool Runnings.

Barbados has so much to see and do. One of the best ways to see the entire island is to rent a car, download a google map and go on a self-guided island tour. You can drive around the entire island in a day, visiting popular spots like Bathsheba, Cherry Tree Hill, the Animal Flower Cave and more.  Craggy Nook guests get 10% off their car rental with Stoute’s Car Rental.

To learn more about the Crop Over festival, read these 14 fun facts. Interested in booking accommodation in Barbados. Check out our #1 rated south coast villas here.