Saint Lucia Jazz

Saint Lucia Jazz started in 1992 as a way of filling the quiet season and grew into one of the largest music events in the Caribbean, with the main stage on the grass at Pigeon Island and the sea behind it, drawing international names alongside Caribbean and Saint Lucian musicians. It has been through several reinventions, folding into a broader arts festival and back out again, and the programme now spreads across May with events at Pigeon Island, in Castries and in the south. The fringe, with free concerts in villages and on the streets, is often better than the main stage.

What you actually see

• The Pigeon Island stage - the main venue, with the sea behind it.
• The fringe events - free concerts in villages across the island.
• Saint Lucian musicians - the local programme alongside the headliners.
• The May timing - built to fill the gap after the winter season.

When to go

Through May, with the main Pigeon Island dates usually over a weekend. Programmes are announced a few months ahead. Accommodation rises for the festival weekend and books out.

Honest expectations

The festival has changed format repeatedly and the programme is confirmed late, which makes planning around it awkward. Main stage tickets are expensive. It rains in May and the Pigeon Island field turns to mud. The jazz content has drifted toward general popular music over the years, which purists complain about.

Nearby

Pigeon Island is at the north end of Rodney Bay; Castries hosts fringe events.