Spicemas 2027, Grenada’s national carnival, is expected to peak on Monday, August 9 and Tuesday, August 10, 2027. Grenada holds Carnival Monday and Tuesday on the second Monday and Tuesday of August every year, so the peak dates are predictable well before the Spicemas Corporation publishes its official calendar in the spring.
That predictability is the whole reason this page exists. Unlike Trinidad or Jamaica, whose carnivals move with Easter, Grenada’s anchor never shifts — which means you can book flights and rooms for Spicemas years ahead while everyone else waits for an announcement.
Spicemas peak dates through 2030
| Year | Carnival Monday (J’ouvert) | Carnival Tuesday (Parade of the Bands) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Monday, August 10 | Tuesday, August 11 |
| 2027 | Monday, August 9 | Tuesday, August 10 |
| 2028 | Monday, August 14 | Tuesday, August 15 |
| 2029 | Monday, August 13 | Tuesday, August 14 |
| 2030 | Monday, August 12 | Tuesday, August 13 |
Both days are national public holidays in Grenada. The surrounding festival season typically opens in the first days of August, with preliminary competitions running as far back as May. The Spicemas Corporation confirms the full event calendar each spring — treat the peak Monday and Tuesday as fixed and everything around them as provisional.
What happens on each day of Spicemas
Based on the 2026 schedule, which follows the same shape every year, the marquee events cluster into the five days before and including Carnival Tuesday:
| Day | Event | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Friday | Soca Monarch finals | Power and Groovy titles decided at the national stadium; the songs you will hear all week |
| Saturday | Panorama | Steel pan finals — bands of up to 100 musicians |
| Sunday | Dimanche Gras | Calypso finals plus the crowning of the King and Queen of the Bands |
| Monday | J’ouvert (~4 a.m.), Monday on the Road, Monday Night Mas | Jab Jab in the dark, then the band road session, then a neon night parade |
| Tuesday | Parade of the Bands | Pretty mas and traditional mas share the road through St. George’s |
J’ouvert is what separates Spicemas from every other carnival in the region. Grenada’s Jab Jab tradition — masqueraders covered in oil, molasses or charcoal, wearing horns and carrying chains — traces to emancipation in 1834. It is the reason people fly in for a 4 a.m. street party rather than an afternoon parade.
The Spicemas 2027 booking timeline
Grenada is a small island with limited room stock, and Carnival week is the one time all of it sells at once. This is the calendar we work backwards from:
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| Aug–Oct 2026 | Book flights and accommodation | 10–12 months out is where the sane airfares are; rooms on the southwest coast go first |
| Nov 2026–Feb 2027 | Shortlist a mas band; follow them on Instagram | Band announcements and pre-registration land here |
| March 2027 | Register for your band and section | Bands typically launch in March; popular sections sell out fast |
| Spring 2027 | Watch for the official Spicemas calendar | Spicemas Corporation confirms event dates and venues |
| May–June 2027 | Buy fete tickets as lineups drop | The marquee parties sell out well before carnival week |
| July 2027 | Book taxis and airport transfers | J’ouvert needs a confirmed pre-dawn ride, not a hope |
If you take one thing from this page: the people who have a good Spicemas are the ones who booked in the autumn. The people who have an expensive Spicemas booked in June.
What Spicemas costs
Round-trip airfare into Maurice Bishop International Airport (GND) normally runs roughly $500 to $900 from U.S. gateways. Carnival week regularly reaches $1,500 to $2,000 or more — on midpoint numbers that is about a 2.5x premium, or roughly $1,000 extra per seat. For a couple, that is close to $2,000 in airfare alone before a hotel night, which is exactly why the booking window above matters so much.
Playing mas adds more. A base package with a Grenada band typically covers J’ouvert, the Monday road session, Monday Night Mas and the Tuesday costume, with food, drinks and security included, and runs about $750 to $1,000 per person. Frontline costumes with feathered backpacks add another $600 to $900. A couple playing full pretty mas is looking at roughly $1,500 to $3,800 in costumes on top of the flights.
The advisor take: two trips, not one
Here is the thing most Spicemas guides will not tell you: carnival week is a poor way to see Grenada. You will be on the road, under-slept and covered in oil, and the island’s best parts — Grand Etang’s rainforest and crater lake, River Antoine’s water-powered rum distillery, Belmont Estate’s tree-to-bar cocoa, the world’s first underwater sculpture park — will pass you by entirely.
The travelers we work with who love Grenada most tend to split it. They come once in the quiet months — late April through June, or November — for the island itself at a fraction of Carnival pricing, then come back for the mas knowing exactly where they are and what they want to do. If you can only make one trip, arrive three or four days before Carnival Monday and do your exploring while your energy is still intact.
If you want a Spicemas 2027 trip priced out — flights, room and band package together — the team at Pixie Vacations can quote it at no fee to you. For where to stay, our sister site’s Sandals Grenada review covers the island’s flagship all-inclusive.
Quick Facts: Spicemas 2027
When is Spicemas 2027?
Spicemas 2027 is expected to peak on Monday, August 9 and Tuesday, August 10, 2027. Grenada holds Carnival Monday and Tuesday on the second Monday and Tuesday of August each year. The Spicemas Corporation confirms the full calendar each spring.
Why are Spicemas dates predictable when other carnivals move?
Grenada anchors Carnival Monday and Tuesday to the second Monday and Tuesday of August, a fixed formula. Trinidad and Jamaica tie their carnivals to Easter, which is a moveable feast, so their dates shift by weeks year to year.
How far ahead should I book Spicemas?
Ten to twelve months. Grenada has limited room stock and it sells out at once during Carnival week. Bands typically launch in March, roughly five months before the festival, and popular sections sell out quickly.
What is J’ouvert at Spicemas?
J’ouvert is the pre-dawn opening of Carnival Monday, starting around 4 a.m. Masqueraders play Jab Jab — covered in oil, molasses or charcoal, wearing horns and carrying chains — in a tradition tracing to emancipation in 1834.
How much does it cost to play mas in Grenada?
Base band packages run roughly $750 to $1,000 per person and typically include J’ouvert, the Monday road session, Monday Night Mas and the Tuesday costume. Frontline costumes add about $600 to $900.
What airport do I fly into for Spicemas?
Maurice Bishop International Airport (GND), on the southern tip of Grenada near the Grand Anse hotel corridor. Direct service runs from New York, Miami, Atlanta and select Canadian cities, with connections through Barbados, Trinidad and Antigua.
Is Spicemas good for a first carnival?
It depends what you want. Grenada offers the most intact traditional-mas culture in the region, but J’ouvert is intense and there is no rest day between Monday and Tuesday. First-timers who want an easier entry often start with Jamaica or Barbados.
Reported by the Pixie Vacations advisor team — Caribbean travel specialists with 735+ five-star client reviews, featured on USA Today, NBC, ABC, CNN and MSN. We book Caribbean festival travel, all-inclusives and honeymoons at no fee to the traveler.
Call: 678-815-1584 · Email: Info@PixieVacations.com
Last updated: August 2026
More Caribbean carnival coverage: Spicemas 2026 news and schedule · Jamaica Carnival 2027 · Antigua Carnival · Crop Over Barbados
Sources: Spicemas Corporation · Travel Noire, Grenada Spicemas guide · Caribbean Journal, Grenada stayover arrivals, July 2026
