The twenty fifth version of the World Creole Music Competition (WCMF) was launched Friday 4 July 2025. This silver jubilee will happen from 24 to 26 October at Windsor Park Sports activities Stadium in Roseau. Celebrated below the theme “International Echoes of the Nature Island: Celebrating 25 Years of Creole Music, Magic, and Recollections”, the milestone occasion will honour Creole music, tradition, and Caribbean identification whereas highlighting Dominica’s function because the Nature Isle of the Caribbean.
Organisers introduced a contribution of 13.4 million {dollars} (roughly £10.4 million), which is a rise of 4 million {dollars} (round £3.1 million) from final yr. They famous the WCMF’s sturdy financial impression and the necessity for a extra sustainable financing mannequin.
HISTORY AND LEGACY OF WCMF
The World Creole Music Competition was established in 1997 with two major targets: to reinforce Dominica’s arts, music, and leisure industries, and to place the island as a singular tourism vacation spot. Since then, it has developed into one of many signature occasions on the Caribbean competition calendar, recognised for its sustained customer arrivals, sturdy media protection, and sterling popularity amongst artists.
Held yearly on the final weekend in October, the competition is a spotlight of Dominica’s Independence celebrations and coincides with Worldwide Creole Day. October, recognized regionally as Creole Month, is a time when the island turns into a showcase of music, delicacies, style, and traditions that mirror the richness of Creole identification and heritage.
At its core, the WCMF celebrates the music of Creole-speaking international locations throughout the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, and the broader world. Its lineup options the various rhythms of bouyon and cadence-lypso from Dominica, kompa from Haiti, zouk from the French Antilles, soukous from Africa, and zydeco from New Orleans. Through the years, the competition has additionally welcomed a variety of world sounds, together with reggae, dancehall, soca, calypso, salsa, and extra.
The stage has been graced by a powerful checklist of stars, together with Kassav, Tabou Combo, Exile One, Jeff Joe and Grammacks Worldwide, Ophelia Marie, Michele Henderson, Ralph Thamar, Kali, WCK Band, Swinging Stars, Krosfyah, Sq. One, Buckwheat Zydeco, the Wailers, Byron Lee & the Dragonaires, Machel Montano, Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Sean Paul, Aswad, Wyclef Jean, Carimi, Taxi Kweyol, Magnum Band, Phantom Band, Sakis, Loketo, Diblo Dibala, Shurwayne Winchester, and plenty of others.
As we speak, the WCMF stands as an emblem of the world’s creole heritage and is established as one of many Caribbean’s high cultural festivals.
BEYOND THE MUSIC
Greater than only a live performance sequence, the World Creole Music Competition is a complete cultural expertise that showcases Dominica’s identification because the Nature Isle. Guests are inspired to increase their keep, with alternatives to find the island’s rivers, lakes, waterfalls, scorching springs, and marine adventures. Alongside the music, the competition showcases Creole delicacies, crafts, style, and the nice and cozy hospitality of the Dominican folks.
October transforms the island right into a month-long celebration of pleasure, unity, and Creole spirit. From “Three Nights of Pulsating Rhythms” to the superb adventures awaiting throughout the island, the WCMF continues to ship on its promise as a competition that by no means sleeps.
Dominica’s music is bouyon — a style created by Cornell Phillip and his brothers. It’s fast-paced, constructed on drums, bass, and chant-style vocals. Forming WCK (Windward Caribbean Kulture), they built-in cadence-lypso and jing-ping into dance hits like Dance Ground and Conch Shell.
Asa Bantan, King of Bouyon (A.Okay.A Bouyon Boss), turned the primary solo artist to take the style world with Moist Fete, inspiring Machel Montano and Bunji Garlin. Carlyn XP, the Bouyon Queen, added hits like Gimme Dat and No person. In 2025, Trilla G, Shelly, and Skinny Fabulous gained the primary Bouyon Highway March with Rags, proving that bouyon continues to rise throughout Dominica and past.
25 YEARS OF CREOLE MUSIC, MAGIC AND MEMORIES
Because it celebrates its silver anniversary, the World Creole Music Competition stays a cornerstone of Dominica’s cultural identification and a serious show of Caribbean creativity. With world recognition, candy rhythms, and memorable experiences, the 2025 version guarantees to be greater and higher than ever.
Dominica invitations you to “Come for the vibe, keep for the view,” with greater than 45 reside performances throughout three nights of bouyon, soca, reggae, dancehall, zouk, and Afrobeat from native and worldwide stars, giving guests an opportunity to expertise the island’s pure Creole tradition like by no means earlier than.
Tickets for the occasion fluctuate by date and sort, with Night time 1 (24 October) and Night time 3 (26 October) at $77 (£57), Night time 2 (25 October) at $115 (£85), Season Common tickets at $230 (£170), and VIP tickets at $797 (£588). VIP choices embody PVIP (premium drinks and snacks), VVIP (all-inclusive meals and drinks), and Extremely VIP (encompassing all facilities of PVIP and VVIP, plus extra).
