tidings
Melissa Doughty
The Trinidad and Tobago Carnival is scheduled to kick off on November 5 at Queen’s Park Savannah and, soon after, Pan Trinbago is expected to launch Panorama 2023 on November 6 at the Massy Trinidad All Stars Theatre, Duke Street, Port of Spain.
Departure will be from 17:30 that day.
In a social media post on Thursday, the pan body also shared its 2023 schedule of events, which showed the pan competition kicking off on November 26 with the single pants semi-finals.
This will be followed by the finals of a pan on December 3 at Queen’s Park Savannah.
The semi-final of the small conventional groups will take place on January 7 at Victoria Square, Port of Spain. The junior conventional finals will take place on January 14 at Queen’s Park Savannah.
The Junior Panorama final will be held on January 22 at Queen’s Park Savannah.
The medium and large semi-finals, often called the Savannah party, will take place on February 5 at Queen’s Park Savannah.
On February 12, Dwight Yorke Stadium, Tobago will host the Panorama Middle Conventional Group Final, and on February 18 the Large Convention Group Final will be held at Queen’s Park Savannah.
In a telephone interview, Pan Trinbago president Beverley Ramsey-Moore said the body was very excited about Panorama’s 60th anniversary.
“Our events committee is on top of their game plan as far as launch goes. We expect all the Panorama winners to participate: Desperadoes Steel Orchestra, Massy Trinidad All Stars, old and young bands.”
Small group winner Tobago’s Uptown Fascinators Steel Orchestra and medium group winner NGC Couva Joylanders Steel Orchestra will also entertain at the event.
The pan body gets its Panorama allocation from the National Carnival Commission (NCC) and is aware that Pan Trinbago is heading into its diamond jubilee, Ramsey-Moore said.
She added that the body expects the budget expectations to be met, bearing this in mind.
“What will make it very exciting, we will increase, for the final, the big groups. We will have 12 large groups going to the finals and 12 medium groups going to the finals,” she said.
In the last Panorama in 2020, 11 large groups competed.
Both the middle and grand finals will be separate events, she said.
Ramsey-Moore said Pan Trinbago is anticipating a big turnout for the middle and major group finals.
“There will be many gifts to mark the diamond jubilee celebration. We will ensure that our customers are happy and satisfied with the offers for our jubilee celebrations.”
She said she hopes groups’ expectations will be met for the 2023 Carnival, when asked if there will be an increase in prize money next year.
The carnivals will take place on February 20 and 21 next year.
