M&CC earns over $30M from Mashramani Parade vending spots

The Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has generated more than $30 million in revenues from this year’s Mashramani Costume and Float Parade. This was revealed by Minister within the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry, Steven Jacobs, during the 2026 Mashramani Awards Ceremony and Concert held on Saturday evening at Castellani House. According to Jacobs, these revenues were earned from the sale of over 400 vending spots along the parade route in Georgetown this year. Held under the theme “Expressing Our Culture Through Innovation and Creativity,” the 2026 Mashramani Costume and Float Parade showcased Guyana’s rich cultural heritage and talents across several categories. At least 24 bands participated in the costume and float parade, which flowed through the city streets.

Govt injects $200M
In fact, Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr disclosed at the prize-giving ceremony that Government spent $200 million on the Mashramani floats alone. This investment, he explained, enabling Ministries and designers to deliver more elaborate displays for the February 23 parade. “We have spent over $200 million this year on Mashramani floats alone,” Ramson Jr stated, adding that, “I am extremely proud of what I saw this year. We had four monarchs we ran off.”
Dubbed as the biggest Mashramani season, this year’s celebrations featured more than 20 events within a two-week period. According to Ramson Jr, “I will challenge anybody anywhere to put together a team that can successfully deliver 20 events in that time to such a high standard.” He explained that the Government has implemented a new system, which helped boost the quality of the displays seen at the road parade last month. The Government released funds earlier and engaged designers months ahead of time to allow creatives to have more time to properly curate their pieces.

Commended
Meanwhile, Minister Jacobs also commended the organisers and creatives for their dedication to making the celebrations a success. He highlighted that Mashramani continues to unite communities across the country, with participation ranging from children to veteran designers and performers. “This is one of the few national events that spans right across the entire country, showcasing our culture and giving our creatives a space to shine,” he added. Jacobs also encouraged greater collaboration with the private sector to further develop the celebration and strengthen opportunities in the creative economy. Saturday’s Mashramani Awards Ceremony brought together the nation’s creatives to celebrate the outstanding achievements from this year’s Mashramani competitions. The evening honoured winners from the various song competitions and costume and float parade competitions, recognising the creativity, dedication and excellence displayed throughout the Mashramani season. Among the winners were Carlvin Burnett, whose hit track “Lunatic” dominated the Mashramani 2026 celebrations, earning him the coveted Road March title. Meanwhile, the costume and float parade saw Government Ministries and organisations capturing top honours across multiple categories. In the Non-Commercial Float category, first place went to the Housing Ministry’s Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA), designed by Jermaine Brooms. The Natural Resources Ministry placed second, while the Public Utilities and Civil Aviation Ministry finished third. The Commercial Float category was led by the Guyana Oil Company (GUYOIL), designed by Samuel Ince, with the Heritage Band taking second place. Heritage Band also secured first place in the Commercial Band category, while GUYOIL finished second. In the Non-Commercial Full Costume Bands (Large) category, the Culture, Youth and Sport Ministry captured first place, followed by the Natural Resources Ministry in second and the Public Works Ministry in third. For medium bands, the Health Ministry placed first, the Labour and Manpower Planning Ministry second, and the Amerindian Affairs Ministry third.
In the Small Bands category, the Tourism, Industry and Commerce Ministry was first, followed by the Local Government and Regional Development Ministry in second and the Home Affairs Ministry in third. The Semi-Costume Large Band category was won by the Ministry of Agriculture, while the Guyana Police Force (GPF) claimed first place in the Military and Paramilitary Organisation category. In the regional competition, Region Six captured first place in the Full Costume Small Regional category, with Region Four placing second. Individual costume honours were dominated by Maxi Williams, who was named Designer of the Year. Williams also took home King of the Band, Queen of the Band, Male Individual and Female Individual awards for the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, as well as first place in the Party Truck category. Saturday’s award ceremony effectively brought the curtains down on the 2026 Mashramani season.