~ Concerts, parades most popular ~
PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) has released the results of its 2025 Carnival online survey, which measured attendee satisfaction, event preferences, spending behaviour, and areas for improvement.
“The findings, drawn from a diverse cross-section of participants, offer critical data that will help shape the planning and execution of Carnival 2026 and beyond,” SCDF said in a press release on Monday.
A combined 60.2% of the 803 respondents rated their overall experience as good (41.1%) or very good (19.1%). Meanwhile, 32.6% rated their experience as fair, while only a small portion gave negative ratings, with poor at 6.2% and very poor at 1%.
“This feedback affirms that we are on the right track in delivering a memorable Carnival, but it also challenges us to dig deeper into what makes the difference between a fair and great experience,” SCDF said.
When it came to participation, concerts (27.2%) and parades (26.5%) were the most attended events, closely followed by J’Ouvert (21.7%). Local musical shows drew 16.3%, while pageants attracted the least participation at just 3%.
Respondents’ preferences largely mirrored attendance trends. International concerts emerged as the top preferred event type (27.3%), followed by parades (23.8%), J’Ouvert (22.3%) and local musical shows (20.2%). Pageants (6.3%) ranked the lowest in preference, which SCDF says suggests “the need for a reimagined pageant format.”
“These patterns confirm a growing demand for entertainment-driven events, particularly those with strong musical line-ups and crowd engagement,” SCDF said.
Regarding the atmosphere and creativity in Carnival Village, some 57.2% of respondents rated them as excellent (11.3%) or good (45.9%), while 36.6% felt they were was average. A small minority (6.3%) gave them a poor rating. “This reflects a generally strong but improvable ambiance in the Village,” SCDF said.
Food options in Carnival Village received relatively strong reviews, with 44.3% rating the food as good and 38.2% rating it as average. However, just 10% found it excellent and 7.5% described it as poor.
Carnival participants spent an average of between US $182.33 and $489.80 during Carnival, with the most funds going to show tickets (39.8%), food in Carnival Village (36.1%) and clothing (12.2%). Expenses related to lodging (3.4%) and transportation (2.2%) were minimal for most participants, which SCDF says was likely due to high local turnout.
“These results show that live events and food remain the main economic drivers of Carnival-related spending,” SCDF said.
When evaluating value for money, 52.6% of respondents rated it as fair, while 28.6% rated it as good and 4.3% as very good. However, 14.5% believed it was poor or very poor.
“These findings indicate a perceived gap between cost and delivery, especially in premium-priced events. Improving value perception could involve better ticketing transparency, added perks or bundled event experiences,” SCDF said.
Among international concert nights, Bouyon Night stood out as the clear favourite, with 30.1% of respondents selecting it as the best show.
Night of the Hit Makers (21.1%) and Caribbean Flag Fest (20.5%) followed closely, with
Bacchanal Sunday garnering 17.1% and Reggae Night 9.4%. Latin Night had the least support (1.7%).
“It should be noted that Latin Night is an extremely niche event and many of its core supporters probably did not participate in the survey. It also indicates, however, that Latin Night needs to broaden its appeal,” it was stated in the press release.
An overwhelming 86.5% of respondents said they are either likely (22.3%) or very likely (64.2%) to recommend St. Maarten Carnival to others. Only 1.4% said they would be unlikely to recommend.
“This is a powerful endorsement of the Carnival brand and a key indicator of satisfaction and cultural pride,” SCDF said.
The largest segment of survey participants were aged 36 to 55 (43.7%), followed by those 22 to 35 years old (39.7%). Youth aged 15 to 21 represented just 10%, while 6.7% were 56 and older.
“This age distribution highlights the core demographic Carnival is attracting; working adults who are financially equipped to participate fully in the experience,” SCDF said. “The limited participation from the youngest and oldest age groups could be addressed through targeted programming as well as customised marketing campaigns.”
The survey also offered a section where respondents could indicate what they did not like about Carnival 2025 and offer recommendations.
“The most recurring complaints were about intoxication of young people, vulgarity of costumes and music during the parades, the high cost of food and shows in Carnival Village, the lack of more cultural events, although the survey indicated that these are not well supported,” SCDF said. “Recommendations included extending the ending times for concerts, having dedicated taxis available at Carnival Village, early announcement of international artists by promoters, re-launching the Carnival app for a central location for information and including all shows in the season pass package.”
SCDF said the survey results will inform its planning for Carnival 2026, which marks the 55th anniversary of the event.
“We are grateful to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts.
There are over 1,000 comments and suggestions and we will go through all of them and adapt where feasible. Your input helps us evolve this celebration not just as a cultural event, but as a dynamic, responsive experience that reflects and uplifts our community,” SCDF said.
