By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

TICKETS for the New Year’s Junkanoo Parade remain available, as excitement builds following the Boxing Day Parade.

Dwayne Davis, chief information officer for Cable Bahamas Group of Companies, said last Wednesday’s parade saw nearly 100 percent of tickets sold, with only a few seats left.

For the New Year’s Parade this Wednesday, Mr Davis noted that tickets typically sell slower than the Boxing Day event. 

In 2022, the Junkanoo parades returned after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the introduction of digital ticket sales via the Aliv app initially faced challenges like ticket fraud and seating issues, Mr Davis said the process has since improved. 

“In the last three years, especially this year, we’ve invested heavily in educating the customer,” he said yesterday. “We revamped the app during the third year to make online purchasing easier. There were no errors or fraud issues this year.” 

The Shell Saxon Superstars emerged victorious at the Boxing Day Parade, securing their third consecutive win after also triumphing at the 2023 Boxing Day Parade and the 2024 New Year’s Parade. 

Participants delighted the crowd with the rhythmic beat of goat-skin drums, vibrant banners, and energetic dancers. Initially, there were reports that the Music Makers group had dropped out of the event. Despite these claims, the group participated and placed sixth overall. 

Gary Russell, executive chairman of the Music Makers, criticised the false reports, calling them “fake news” and “irresponsible journalism”. He said the rumours caused chaos and panic within the group. Some members initially believed the reports were true and went home, while others eventually returned after being assured the group was participating. 

Mr Russell said he is unsure who spread the misinformation but noted that over the past two years, “bad actors” have targeted the Music Makers, attempting to undermine the group’s financial support. He warned that legal action would be pursued if such actions continue. 

During the live broadcast of the Boxing Day Junkanoo, deputy chairman of the parade management team Adrian Laroda said during an interview that the Music Makers and the Prodigal Sons had not shown up, along with the Redland Soldiers and the Original Congos. In a later interview, he did not name the Music Makers but still named the other three.