Ministry of Tourism and Discover Dominica Authority to Launch 26th World Creole Music Festival

Official launch to reveal artist lineup and begin public campaign for Dominica's premier music festival

The Government of Dominica, through the Ministry of Tourism and the Discover Dominica Authority (DDA), will officially launch the 26th World Creole Music Festival (WCMF) on Saturday, July 11, unveiling this year's artist lineup, ticket information and other festival updates ahead of the festival, which will be held from October 23 to 25, 2026, at Windsor Park Sports Stadium.

The launch will take place at 7:00 p.m. at Ocean Oasis Hotel and will be streamed live on the Dominica Festivals Facebook page and participating media houses.

The launch follows the most successful edition of the World Creole Music Festival to date. The 25th edition attracted more than 42,000 patrons over three nights and welcomed 10,540 visitors to Dominica in the nine days leading up to the festival, representing the strongest pre-festival visitor performance on record. The festival also generated an estimated EC$15 million in direct visitor spending, benefiting hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, bars, taxi operators, tour guides, vendors, event service providers and other tourism-related businesses across the island.

Saturday's artists reveal marks the first major announcement for this year's festival and signals the start of the festival's public campaign leading to October.

Hon. Denise Charles Pemberton, Minister for Tourism, said the success of the 25th edition reinforced Government's commitment to investing in tourism events that deliver lasting economic benefits.

"The success of last year's World Creole Music Festival reaffirmed the value of investing in events that strengthen Dominica's tourism industry. The festival continues to create opportunities for Dominican businesses, increase visitor spending and showcase our destination to regional and international audiences. Government remains committed to supporting initiatives that expand our tourism product, drive economic activity and create lasting benefits for our people. I invite everyone to join us online on Saturday as we officially launch the 26th edition of the World Creole Music Festival," said Hon. Denise Charles Pemberton, Minister for Tourism.

Marva Williams, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Tourism, Discover Dominica Authority, said the launch marks the beginning of the festival's public campaign and provides the first official opportunity to present this year's festival to audiences at home and abroad.

"The launch sets the stage for this year's World Creole Music Festival and begins our engagement with patrons, partners and visitors in our key markets. It is an opportunity to reveal the artist lineup, share important festival information and encourage early planning for October. We look forward to welcoming audiences to another memorable edition of the festival," said Williams.

The public can watch the launch live on the Dominica Festivals Facebook page and participating media houses from 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 11.