Children ignite Georgetown in 2026 Mashramani Parade

…as Education Ministry records more entries; adopts new judging format

Like a sudden drum roll before a grand announcement, the children’s 2026 Mashramani Parade burst onto the streets as an early proclamation of the festival’s culture. Just days ahead of the main celebrations, they marched through Georgetown beneath the blazing sun, confidently signalling that they are more than ready to carry the heart and heritage of Mashramani forward. This year’s Children’s Mashramani saw participation increase significantly from across the country, along with the introduction of a new judging format, adding a fresh competitive edge and heightened excitement to the event. This publication was along the streets of Georgetown to witness the feat firsthand, speak with students and catch up with organisers behind the large-scale production. One of the organisers, Assistant Chief Education Officer (ACEO) Nicholas Fraser, explained that preparation for the event begins months in advance and involves competitions across all education districts.

“The planning started very early. Obviously, what you’re seeing this week are all of the best performers from the competitions that we’ve had in all of the regions. There are 11 education districts, and each one of them would have had their own regional finals. For the dramatic poetry, the dance competitions, hip-hop, and all of those winners came to Georgetown. So what you’re seeing on the road here are the best costumes, the best pieces that they had in the regions,” he said. Fraser also outlined a major change to this year’s judging system, noting that it mirrors elements of the adult Mashramani format. “This is the first year that we’re going to have two judging points. The first judging section is situated at Camp and Lamaha Street, and the last one, which we normally have, is on the tarmac of the National Park. We’ll have two judging points. It will raise the quality of the performance and ultimately cause them to be a little more choreographed along the route,” he explained. He added that the dual judging-point system is expected to become standard going forward. “Yes, this will be the new trend. And we’ve had double the number of entries from last year on the road this year. So we have grown quite a bit,” he said.
According to Fraser, participation increased significantly across nursery, primary, and secondary schools. “This year we saw a lot more entries from schools – nursery, primary and secondary. That was a big push. I think especially with dance, people are coming around to the changes that we’re making, and there are a lot more persons now who are participating,” he noted. Among the standout bands was Region Eight, which was themed around Guyana’s digital era, featuring a wide mix of colours and technology-inspired designs. A representative of the band said the presentation symbolised the country’s technological evolution. “Actually, we are representing the digital era. We have all the different colours in one to demonstrate that technology is here to stay and we are embracing that. Our costume displays the past, where we used books, and now we are in the technology stage, where we have all the gadgets that we use. Right now I hear the music, and the music is taking over me right now,” the representative shared. Speaking about dance preparation, she explained that coordination across multiple schools required extra effort.
“As it pertains to the dance, our section consisted of children from different schools, so we had to get everybody into the same choreography for all the dances. But we have a little mix where everybody is trying to put forward their best,” she said.