The Caribbean Islands have a culture that is rich with musical history. With genres of music including reggae, ska, calypso, and meringue originating in the Caribbean, it’s easy to see how some of the best music festivals take place on these beautiful islands. Here are some of our favorite music festivals in the Caribbean along with villa recommendations from WIMCO villa specialists:
This annual music festival is in its 30th year and takes place in January in Gustavia, St. Barths. This festival is an excellent way to experience classical music, opera, ballet and jazz performances from world-renowned orchestras, ensembles, dancers, and solo performers. The 2015 St. Barts Music Festival is taking place from Friday January 9 – Sunday January 25. For accommodations for the remainder of the festival, we recommend Villa WV SAB for couples and Villa WV ROX for larger parties.
Why it may be hard to feel the blues, while relaxing on the beach or by your luxury villa’s infinity pool in Mustique, it isn’t hard to hear great music at Mustique’s Blues Festival. This annual festival, which will take place from Wednesday January 21 to Wednesday February 4, 2015, is headlined by Zac Harmon, who was recently voted as one of the best unsigned blues artists. For Mustique villa accommodations, we recommend Villa MV MOA for couples and Villa MV BCK for larger parties.
While the main event of the Heineken Regatta in St. Maarten is, of course, the boat racing, it is hard to deny that the parties during the regatta are some bring in some of the biggest concert acts of all the Caribbean music festivals. Past regattas have had huge names including reggae legends, Jimmy Cliff and the Wailers as well as contemporary artists such as the Black Eyed Peas and Shaggy. This year, the regatta will take place from Tuesday March 3 to Sunday March 8, 2015. What could be better than enjoying the races during the day, the music at night, and returning to your private villa for some downtime between events? Our villa specialists recommend Villa C JDV for couples and Villa C TER for larger groups.
What could be better than listening to internationally recognized artists including Jimmy Buffet, John Mayer, Inner Circle, and Benny Benassi at one of the best beach bars in the world? The 25th Annual Moonsplash Music Festival which will take place from Friday March 13 to Monday March 16, 2015 at the Dune Preserve is just that event. Hosted by founder and Anguillan reggae legend, Bankie Banx, this festival has earned its place as one of Anguilla’s best events. While many concert-goers choose to camp out on the beach during Moonsplash, we think that these villas would be far more comfortable: Villa IDP JAS for couples and Villa AXA ARU for larger parties.
The British Virgin Islands Music Festival in Tortola is a musical and cultural celebration which showcases local talent along with big names from the hip hop, reggae R&B genres as well as the traditional folk music of the Virgin Islands, known as “fungi”. Past acts include Boys II Men, Damian Marley, Keyshia Cole, and Percy Sledge. This year, the festival is taking place around Memorial Day from Sunday May 24 through Tuesday May 26, 2015. Spend the long weekend partying at night and relaxing at your private villa during the day; our specialists recommend Villa MAT CAN for couples and Villa MAT RHU for larger groups.
Enjoy some of the world’s biggest reggae acts from its birthplace in Jamaica at the island’s biggest music festival, Reggae SumFest. This festival is recognized as the premier reggae music event of the year and also features artists from other genres of music, such as hip hop and R&B including Usher, The Temptations, and Kanye West. This week-long festival will take place from Sunday July 12 – Saturday 18, 2015. Our villa specialists recommend Villa RHV 2BDP for couples and Villa VL END for larger parties.
WIMCO Villas offers a carefully selected and personally inspected collection of villa rentals, coupled with veteran and well-traveled villa consultants for personalized planning both before and during a guest’s vacation. Contact us to begin planning your Caribbean concert experience.
