Saint Lucia Festivals

Two events, named with their months.

An official source names two Saint Lucian events and the month each falls in:

• the Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival, in May
• Saint Lucia Carnival, in July

That is more than this series has been able to publish for any neighboring island. Elsewhere in the Caribbean the tourism authorities that would normally list a festival program refuse or fail to answer the research behind these pages, and the result is guides that can name no dates at all.

Where that information comes from, which changes how to read it.

It comes from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and it appears in the section on crime.

The full sentence is that robberies and opportunistic crime may occur during the periods of and around large-scale events such as the Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival in May and Saint Lucia Carnival in July.

We could have lifted the names and the months out of that sentence and presented them as a festival listing. That would have been quoting a safety warning with the warning removed, so both halves are here instead.

The precautions the advice attaches.

• Take sensible precautions and be aware of your surroundings at all times
• Avoid displaying jewelry or valuable items that may attract attention
• Do not leave your drinks unattended
• Take care in crowded places
• Have a clear plan to return home safely after attending

The last is the one most often left to chance at the end of a long evening, and it is the one the advice asks you to decide in advance.

The wider safety advice adds two lines that apply directly on a festival night: take particular care around large gatherings including street and beach parties, especially after dark or during the festival season, and avoid isolated areas, including beaches, after dark.

What this page cannot give you.

Only the months are published. No source in this guide's register gives a date, a venue, a lineup, a ticket price or a program for either event, and this page invents none of them. Dates move from year to year, and the organizers are the only reliable source for them.

Nor is there a photograph. Saint Lucia's Carnival is not photographed on the open-licensed archives this guide draws from, so the image at the top of this page is a sunset over Soufriere and is captioned as exactly that.

If either event is the reason for your trip, fix the dates with the organizers first and book around them, then read the precautions above before you go out.

Sources

• UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Saint Lucia travel advice, safety and security: that although there is no recent history of terrorism in the country attacks cannot be ruled out; that most visits are trouble free but robberies and opportunistic crime may occur during the periods of and around large-scale events such as the Saint Lucia Jazz and Arts Festival in May and Saint Lucia Carnival in July, and that visitors at such events should take sensible precautions, avoid displaying jewelry or valuable items, not leave drinks unattended, take care at crowded events and have a clear plan to return home safely; that there have been incidents of crime including murder, armed robbery and sexual assault, and that there is a continuing serious risk of homicides, primarily gang related and involving guns, with some incidents in public areas; that visitors should secure their accommodation including on a yacht, take care walking alone off main roads, take particular care around large gatherings including street and beach parties especially after dark or during the festival season, avoid isolated areas including beaches after dark, use only licensed taxis, not carry large amounts of cash or jewelry, and leave valuables and travel documents in a hotel safe or deposit box; that it is illegal for anyone, including children, to dress in camouflage clothing; that there are severe penalties for all drug offenses; that certain same-sex sexual acts are illegal and that it is uncommon for opposite-sex or same-sex couples to show affection in public; that currents can be deceptively strong and not all beaches have lifeguards or warning flags; that travelers without a Saint Lucian driving license must get a temporary driving permit, needing a driving license, passport, passport-size photograph and 54 Eastern Caribbean dollars or 20 US dollars, obtained in person at the Department of Transport at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Ports, Transport, Physical Development and Urban Renewal at the Union Complex in Union, Castries, on telephone +1 758 468 4300, and that some hire car companies can obtain the permit and often set stricter requirements such as a year of driving experience or a higher minimum age; that roads can have potholes and speed bumps, that minor and rural roads are often narrow with steep gradients, hairpin bends and blind corners, that drivers do not always use indicators, that pedestrians often walk on the roads, that some roads are unlit at night and that road signs and hazards may not be easily visible; that accidents often happen on the main east coast road to and from Hewanorra International Airport; that a driver should not stop if flagged down by pedestrians and should keep car doors locked while driving, and in the event of an accident should call the police and not move the vehicle; that taxis are not metered, that standard fares exist for most destinations, that the fare should be agreed in local currency with the driver before setting off and that payment can often be made in US dollars as well as East Caribbean dollars; that minibus drivers often drive above the speed limit; that the hurricane season in the Caribbean normally runs from June to November and often brings heavy rains which may cause flash floods and landslides, that after a storm power, communications, transport and water supplies can be disrupted and that even in holiday resorts utility services cannot be guaranteed; that earthquakes are a risk in the Caribbean and tremors are occasionally felt; and that a traveler should check the alert level of the underwater volcano Kick em Jenny located 5 miles off the coast of Grenada, and the alert level for La Soufriere volcano located on the nearby island of St Vincent, whose eruption in 2021 sent ash over the island and caused some disruption. Accessed 20 September 2026.