During her recent remarks at the Official Opening of the 2026/2027 Junkanoo season, Minister of Culture, Arts and Heritage the Hon. Minister Leslia Brice stated that the event was “a celebration of culture, creativity, community and the unmistakable sound and spirit of The Bahamas”.

“It is also an important moment on our national cultural calendar – a moment when we officially turn our attention to a season that brings our people together, showcases extraordinary Bahamian talent and reminds us of the power of our heritage; because Junkanoo is more than Bay Street,” she said.

Her Ministry also presented seed-funding monies to Junkanoo group and participants, at the event held at Breezes Bahamas, on September 7, 2026.  Among those present were Permanent Secretary Lisa Adderley, Director of the Department of Culture Dereka Deleveaux-Grant and other staff members, Secretary General of The Bahamas National Commission for UNESCO Deidre Bevans, and several Junkanoo stakeholders.

Minister Brice added: “It is more than Boxing Day.  It is more than New Year’s Day.  And it is certainly more than Nassau.  Junkanoo lives across the islands of The Bahamas.  It lives in our shacks, our communities, our schools and our homes.  It lives in the months of preparation before a single group reaches the parade route.”

She pointed out that it begins with an idea.

“A sketch becomes a costume,” she said.  “A rhythm is taught to a young drummer.  A dancer learns the steps.  A builder shapes a piece.”

Minister Brice added: “A community comes together around its group.  Long before we see the finished product, there are hours of work, sacrifice, creativity and commitment behind it.  That is Junkanoo.”

She noted that even though Bay Street remained “one of our greatest stages,” it was not the whole story.

“Boxing Day and New Year’s Day remain among our most anticipated cultural
moments, but they are not the whole season,” Minister Brice stated.  “And Nassau may host our largest parades, but Junkanoo belongs to the entire Bahamas.”

She added: “Every island carries its own history, traditions and expression.  Every community that keeps this culture alive is part of the Junkanoo story.  That is the larger story the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage is committed to celebrating, protecting and growing.”

Minister Brice pointed out that, as a new Ministry, her team understood from the beginning that it could not shape the future of Junkanoo without first listening to “the people who live it and breathe it”.

“So we started there,” she said.  “We have hosted Listening Sessions not only in New Providence, but also in Grand Bahama.

Minister Brice added: “We have sat with group leaders and stakeholders.  We have heard the concerns.  We have heard the frustrations.  We have also heard the ideas, ambitions and tremendous hope for what Junkanoo can become.  Our team has visited Grand Bahama and gone into the shacks and seen firsthand the extraordinary creativity taking place inside those spaces.”

She said that her team also saw some of the challenges those groups continued to face.

“Those conversations must mean something,” Minister Brice stated.  “They cannot simply become another meeting or another report.  They must inform action.”

She added: “That is why the Ministry has begun gathering information on the sustainability of our Junkanoo groups and the condition and needs of our shacks.  Strong policy must be informed by real information.  If we are going to advocate for better resources, stronger infrastructure and more sustainable solutions, we must understand the needs of the people and communities we are seeking to support.”

Minister Brice continued and stated that “our engagement cannot stop in New Providence and Grand Bahama”.

“We are committed to continuing these conversations throughout our Family Islands, because Junkanoo is not a Nassau tradition,” she said.  “It is a Bahamian tradition.”

Minister Brice said that, as The Bahamas moved into that new season, five commitments will help guide the Ministry’s work with the Junkanoo community.

She said: “We must Listen. We must Protect. We must Professionalize. We must Expand; and we must Empower.”

Speaking on the first point, Minister Brice noted that the Listening Sessions were the beginning, not the end.

“The people who create, preserve and advance this culture must have a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect it,” she said.  “Our Ministry must remain accessible, responsive and willing to continue learning from the people doing the work every day.”

On the point of protection, Minister Brice stated that The Bahamas must “protect our history, traditions and craftsmanship”.

“We must also protect the spaces where Junkanoo is created,” she said.

Minister Brice added: “Our shacks are more than buildings.  They are creative centres.  They are classrooms.  They are community spaces.  They are places where knowledge is shared and traditions are passed from one generation to the next.

“Protecting Junkanoo means protecting the environment that allows it to thrive.”

Speaking on the point of professionalization, Minister Brice stated that what happens inside a Junkanoo shack was “world-class creative work”.

“The support surrounding that work should reflect its value,” she said.

Minister Brice added: “Professionalization does not mean changing the soul of Junkanoo.  It means stronger systems; greater access to training and development, stronger partnerships; more sustainable groups; and greater opportunities for the people behind this culture to benefit from their creativity, skill, and expertise.”

Speaking on the fourth point of expansion, she stated that The Bahamas must expand the way it thought about Junkanoo.

“Again, it is more than Bay Street, more than Boxing Day, more than New Year’s Day, more than Nassau,” Minister Brice said.

She added: “There are opportunities for people to experience our shacks and learn how costumes are created.  There are opportunities to understand the music and the history.  There are opportunities for our schools, our young people and our Family Islands.”

Minister Brice continued: “We want visitors to understand that experiencing Junkanoo should not depend on whether they arrive in The Bahamas on December 26th  or January 1st.  We want Bahamians, especially our children, to understand that Junkanoo belongs to them all year long.

“Our culture should be experienced, studied, celebrated and supported throughout the year.”

On the last point of empowerment.

“Our Ministry cannot build the future of Junkanoo by itself,” she said. “The future of Junkanoo requires partnership.”

“It requires government, the Junkanoo community, the private sector, our schools, our communities and the wider public all recognizing that we share responsibility for protecting and advancing this national treasure,” Minister Brice added.

She stated that her Ministry’s role was to help “create the conditions for the Junkanoo community to thrive; to remove barriers where we can; to strengthen partnerships; to connect people to opportunities; to support innovation without losing tradition; and to ensure that the people who have carried this culture for generations remain at the centre of where it goes next”.

“That is empowerment,” Minister Brice noted.

She pointed out that there will always be competition in Junkanoo.

“That is part of what makes the season exciting; but beyond the competition, we must remember that we are all custodians of something greater than any one group or any one parade,” Minister Brice said.

“We all have a responsibility to leave Junkanoo stronger than we found it.”

She added that her Ministry also wanted to say thank you.

“Thank you to the people who give so much of themselves to Junkanoo,” Minister Brice said.

She added: “We know the hours are long.  We know the work is demanding.  And we know much of what happens behind the scenes is never seen by the thousands who eventually watch the parade.  But that work matters.  Your sacrifice matters.  The creativity matters.  The commitment matters.”

Minister Brice pointed out that Bahamian culture remained strong because generations of Bahamians had made “the decision to preserve it, practise it and pass it on”.

“Our Ministry is honoured to work alongside you,” she said.

“We also recognize the National Junkanoo Committee and the Junkanoo Corporation of New Providence and all of the partners who have worked throughout the years to support the organisation and advancement of Junkanoo,” Minister Brice added.

She stated that, as The Bahamas entered another Junkanoo season, let it also be one marked by respect and responsibility.

Minister Brice said: “Let us compete fiercely, but respectfully.  Let us celebrate loudly, but safely.  Let us look out for one another, and be our brother’s keeper.  Let us protect our children and young people.”

“Let us respect our groups, our officials and the people who work behind the scenes,” she added.  “And when the competition is over, let us remember that, while we may rush under different banners, we are all carrying the same culture.”

Minister Brice also paused to remember the late Honourable Neville Wisdom.

“His contribution to Junkanoo forms part of the legacy upon which we continue to build,” she said.

“As we begin another season, we honour his service and the many culture bearers who have gone before us,” Minister Brice added.  “Their work reminds us that what we have inherited must never be taken for granted.”

She reiterated that her Ministry and the National Junkanoo Authority had been listening.

“We will continue listening; but we are also ready to work,” Minister Brice noted.

She added: “Together, we can protect what generations before us built while creating greater opportunities for the generations coming behind us.  Together, we can preserve our traditions, while allowing the industry to evolve.  Together, we can grow the Junkanoo experience without losing the things that make it authentically ours.”

Minister Brice stated that together, they all “can make sure that when the world sees Junkanoo, it understands that it is more than a parade; more than Bay Street; more than Boxing Day; more than New Year’s Day; more than Nassau”.

She said: “It is history.  It is artistry.  It is community.  It is industry.  It is heritage.  It is Bahamian.  And it belongs to all of us.”

Minister Brice continued: “Tonight, the season begins.  The shacks are alive.  The drums are calling.  The cowbells are ready.  And once again, The Bahamas is ready to rush.

“Welcome to the 2026/2027 Junkanoo season.”

The post Minister Brice officially opens Junkanoo season; highlights the role of her ministry to create the conditions for the Junkanoo community to thrive appeared first on ZNS BAHAMAS.