In an era overwhelmed with myriad festivals boasting painfully interchangeable lineups, Saint Lucia’s annual Jazz & Arts Festival is offering a truly fresh take on the medium.
On Mothers’ Day (May 10), Grammy-winning R&B superstars Brandy and Monica helped bring the sprawling festival to a close, marking the conclusion to just over two weeks of celebration across music, film, theatre, culinary arts, poetry, visual art and dance. Established in 1992, with assistance from BET J, Saint Lucia Jazz began as a celebration of the island nation’s rich jazz music scene, eventually rebranding into an independent, genre-agnostic event by 2013. From The Isley Brothers to Amy Winehouse and from Elton John to Ciara, a litany of international giants have graced Saint Lucia Jazz — but the festival remains committed to centering and spotlighting local talent.
The festivities formally kicked off on April 24 with an event honoring the late Mr. Edward “Chef Harry” Joseph, a legend in Saint Lucian cuisine, with the 2026 Cultural Icon Award. Over the following two weeks, several locations across the island were converted into performance and showcase spaces for virtually every discipline. Caribbean Cinemas movie theaters played films such as Elijah Anatole’s Heartfall, the acclaimed Sandals Grande resort hosted a performance of playwright Kendel Hippolyte’s Triptych, acclaimed spoken word artist George “Fish” Alphonse treated the town of Anse La Raye to his timeless storytelling, the National Cultural center in the capital city of Castries brought together moving poets like Linton Kwesi Johnson, and pop up concerts deligthed patrons across Anchorage Car Park, Pointe Serpahine, Constitution Park and Rodney Bay Marina.
Opening night of the music festival began on April 30, with high-octane sets from Caribbean stars such as Capleton, Asa Bantan, D’yani and Valiant, with Pure Jazz — the first of two nights solely dedicated to festival’s foundational music genre following on May 5. Five-time Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding headlined that femme-forward night, which also featured sets from Saint Lucian singers Leanda Modeste and Camille Charlamagne. The second Pure Jazz night (May 7), focused on the men, featuring lively performances by the Echoes drum crew, jazz pianist Jesse Billy and the Grammy-winning Branford Marsalis Quartet. In between those two nights, Saint Luzia Jazz went to church with Kingdom Night (May 6), which featured moving sets from the likes of Tye Tribbett, Ada Ehi and Shirleyann Cyril-Mayers.
After roughly half a month of expertly curated artistic celebrations, the 2026 Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival kicked into full gear with Caribbean Fusion on Friday (May 8). Blending classic reggae covers and contemporary tunes from Skip Marley, a hit-packed soca set from Kes the Band and a smoldering dancehall performance by Dexta Daps, Caribbean Fusion leaned into the power of variety. World Beats followed on Saturday (May 9), with Grammy winners Ella Mai and Tems leading a global lineup that also included Les Aiglons de Guadeloupe, Martinician zouk star Princess Lover and Saint Lucia’s very own Lu City. Ahead of Brandy & Monica’s set to close out the Ultimate Celebration on Sunday night (May 10), Pigeon Island enjoyed performances by Grammy-winning Trinidadian-British singer Billy Ocean and Olivier Award-winner Beverly Knight.
With perfect tropical weather coiniciding with a winning lineup and Saint Lucia’s rich cultural fabric, this year’s Jazz & Arts Festival reminded its thousands of patrons why the celebration remains a must-attend event year after year.
Here are the five best moments from the 2026 Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival.
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Branford Marsalis Quartet Shines
Although the festival has moved away from solely celebrating jazz, the iconic genre remained a gravitational force for this year’s iteration. Just a few months after picking up a best jazz instrumental album Grammy nomination for his Belong LP, Marsalis led his quartet to an outstanding performance on Thursday night. Pulling from selections across their four-decade-strong repertoire, the quartet enraptured the mature, refined audience with rich, robust performances — all grounded by Marsalis’ masterful work on his saxophone.
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Tems Gets Saint Lucia In Its Feels
From “What You Need” to her “Riverdance” duet with Dave, Tems has been lighting up the charts all year — and she brought that sneakily dominant energy to the Saint Lucia Jazz stage on Saturday. Donning a lacy, burgundy fit and flanked by local Lucian backup dancers, the Nigerian crossover star tore through her hefty collection of hits, including “Essence,” “Free Mind,” “Higher” and “Love Me JeJe.” From her impassioned rendition of “Need” to the playful choreography peppered throughout “Wickedest,” Tems delivered a set that played up her charisma while also establishing herself as a true contemporary hitmaker. The crowd sang each song louder than the last, a phenomenon that wasn’t necessarily common throughout the festival.
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Ella Mai Waves the Contemporary R&B Banner
After playing a pair of recent South African shows, Ella Mai continued her run of international shows with a stellar set at Saint Lucia Jazz on Saturday. The British R&B singer dropped her Do You Still Love Me? album in February, and with a tour in support of the record on the horizon, she used her Saint Lucia Jazz set to promote both endeavors. From “Tell Her” to “Somebody’s Son, Mai and her band delivered incredibly crisp live arrangements that smartly added a bit more dimension to her signature spars, Mustard-helmed soundscapes.
Of course, the hits like “Boo’d Up” and “Trip” made appearances near the end of her set, but the true standout singalong moments came via throwbacks like “Naked” and relatively more recent cuts like “Not Another Love Song” and “DFMU.” Ella Mai has helped hold it down for women in contemporary R&B ever since she exploded onto the scene in 2018, and her Saint Lucia Jazz presented an artist whose evolved into her most mature and self-assured version yet.
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Brandy & Monica Bring The Boy Is Mine Tour to Saint Lucia
Ahead of their Essence Festival headlining performance on Independence Day (July 4), Brandy and Monica brought their arena-conquering The Boy Is Mine Tour to Saint Lucia Jazz. Chlöe Bailey, for whom the island nation is a home away from home, surprised the packed crowd by introducing the R&B icons, underscoring the festival’s steadfast commitment to uplifting R&B across eras and generations.
Brandy & Monica kept most of the established Boy Is Mine Tour setlist, cutting “It All Belongs to Me,” but keeping the general Verzuz vibe, down to the triumphant, unifying cover of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” in honor of the late Whitney Houston. Notably, Monica cut her “Take Me Thru Dere”-infused, Atlanta-themed dancebreak for something more in line with the festival’s setting. After hyping up the crowd with “Everytime tha Beat Drop,” Mo’ launched into a dance break that blended soca riddims and dancehall choreography, set to a medley that included Gyptian’s “Hold Yuh” and Vybz Kartel’s “Fever.”
Near the end of the show, Brandy & Monica’s backup dancers delivered another dance break, this one exclusively dedicated to the island’s buzzy, homegrown genre of Dennery segment. With two giant Lucian flags waving in the air onstage, it was truly a sight to see two global superstars adjust their show to pay homage to the country in which they’re performing.
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Kes the Band Remains Soca’s Most Dependable Live Band
No matter the venue, Kes the Band will always give you your money’s worth — and its Friday night headlining set was simply another revival. The beloved soca outfit delivered the festival’s most consistent set, never once dipping in energy and verve despite taking the stage around one in the morning. From cheeky choreography and steamy wining to remarkably resonant vocals and explosive arrangements, Kes the Band put on a show that flaunted the limitless potential and reach of soca.
The band’s frontman, who’s also referred to as Kes, opened his set with his stunning cover of the classic “Rum & Coca-Cola,” only to spend the next hour tearing through the band’s signature hits like “Wotless,” “Hello,” “Cocoa Tea” and “No Sweetness.” The true treat came in the form of “Masterpiece,” Kes’ much-talked-about take on Di Genius’ fast-moving “Hill & Gully” riddim. And Kes didn’t just run through his new dancehall collab — which is a smash waiting in the wings — he also ran through a power soca medley that sewed together local favorites like Dezral’s “The Car” and Voice’s “Cyah Behave.” By the time Kes the Band closed its set with the timeless “Savannah Grass,” most of the audience probably headed home to purchase tickets for the group’s North American leg of their Roots, Rock, Soca Tour.
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