Mas Mani Carnival, Guyana’s fastest growing Carnival band is set to launch our newest costume collections for the 2026 season this weekend and it’s an event you don’t want to miss!
For a band that did not exist two years ago, this launch represents a rare pause in momentum, a chance to show revelers- old and new what’s in store for their 2026 road experience and reflect on how quickly Mas Mani has moved from a first-time appearance on the road to a brand now preparing for multiple carnivals across borders.
The event, which will be held at the Tribe Gastronomic Lounge on Sunday, January 17, 2026, will showcase costumes for the upcoming Mashramani Parade in February and the highly anticipated Guyana Carnival in May.
For our founder Enzo Matthews, it represents a moment of consolidation — a chance to present Mas Mani Carnival as a matured offering within Guyana’s carnival ecosystem, informed by experiences in Miami and now Trinidad, but still rooted in a distinctly Guyanese identity.
“This weekend is about showing people what Mas Mani Carnival stands for,” Matthews said. “It’s not just costumes. It’s the energy, the organisation, the overall experience we want masqueraders to have from the minute they join the band.”
Mas Mani Carnival was officially launched on September 30, 2024, during the Cricket Carnival period in Guyana. Entering the road as a first-time band, expectations were cautious, but the turnout quickly shifted perceptions. For a debut appearance, our execution, energy, and reception stood out, signalling that it was not a one-off experiment but the beginning of something more intentional.
Building on that momentum, we returned for Mashramani in 2025, reinforcing our local presence and strengthening its operational framework. Rather than plateau, we expanded our ambitons outward, taking Mas Mani beyond Guyana’s borders for the first time.
In October 2025, we participated in Miami Carnival through a collaboration with the XIA Carnival International. Competing in one of the region’s most saturated carnival markets, Mas Mani along with Xia secured second place for Best Band at Miami Carnival 2025 — a milestone that placed a Guyanese-founded band on an international platform.
Miami was a turning point, which showcased that the work we’re doing locally can stand up on a much bigger stage.
That experience also reshaped how the band approached design, logistics, and presentation, lessons that have fed directly into this year’s Guyana Carnival preparations. Those lessons will be tested again in February, when we head to Trinidad for Trinidad Carnival, widely regarded as the heartbeat of carnival culture in the Caribbean.
For us, taking the band to Trinidad is both a challenge and a learning opportunity.
Following our Trinidad appearance, Mas Mani Carnival is expected to return to the streets later in February for Mashramani before turning full attention back to Guyana Carnival in May. The upcoming launch at Tribe therefore acts as a bridge between our past growth and future expectations, a moment where the band formally presents what it has been building behind the scenes.
Attendees can expect a vibe that’s modern, social, and elevated without being inaccessible. Why? We’re bringing a great atmosphere, amazing DJs and the event will also be free of charge!
Come join us this Sunday at 5pm and let’s get the 2026 season started!
