Another major beach festival is coming to Saint Lucia, the ‘Yamaha SunFest Beach Festival’.
This inaugural event is set for November 2 at the Pigeon Point beachfront and will feature a lineup of local, regional, and international performers.
Organizers aim to attract visitors from the French Antilles, including Martinique and Guadeloupe. The festival promises to be a massive one-day event with live entertainment, concerts, food, drinks, and water slides.
The event is a collaboration between the Events Saint Lucia (ESL) and Yamaha, endorsed by the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Industries. It’s expected to draw around 200 yachts and boats, making it a significant tourist attraction.
ESL and Yamaha have teamed up to present an entertainment package. ESL’s Executive Director, Lorraine Sidonie, shared the excitement at the media launch on Thursday, declaring, “We are going to have the biggest beach party that Saint Lucia has ever seen,” emphasizing it will be a “massive beach party right here, at Pigeon Island.”
Sidonie said that the event, hosted in collaboration with Yamaha, a Martinique-based company with interests in Saint Lucia, aims to attract visitors from neighboring French Isles and Dominica. She highlighted the appeal of such events would have for these visitors.
Regarding catering, Sidonie mentioned, “It’s definitely a nice balance between the French and the English (Saint Lucia and Martinique) and it’s emulating the Mercury Beach event, but it’s definitely ‘Yamaha-branded’.”
Tourism Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire also spoke about promoting the destination and the attractions of the event.
With the island having recently staged a vibrant Jazz and Arts Festival and Carnival festivity, the minister referred to Saint Lucia as ‘Festival country or destination’, stating: “This event brings an additional activity to our Events and Festivals calendar and we are going to see how it grows.”
He stressed that visitors from Martinique and Guadeloupe are “huge supporters of events in Saint Lucia” as the island continue to foster good relations with the French territories.
Kurtrany Cherry, Local Representative for TH Motors & Marine Inc. Agents for Yamaha said the concept began about two years ago as the company saw the need to get involved in the events and entertainment arena. He said that Saint Lucia and Martinique have enjoyed a long-lasting friendship over the years, and this event helps expand the economic spinoffs that the island has benefited from with vendors, taxi drivers and hoteliers all cashing in on such activities.
He highlighted the role of local and French artistes for the upcoming beach festival, and adds that, the main headliner will be top-ranked international artiste, who will draw the attention of patrons from across the French Antilles to Saint Lucia.
Chairman of the ESL Board of Directors, Leo Clarke acknowledged the input of major stakeholders including the Saint Lucia Tourism Authority (SLTA), Saint Lucia National Trust (SLNT) and the Gros Islet Constituency Council among others.
Added Clarke: “Yamaha Sunfest is a new event to add to Saint Lucia’s already distinguished array of successful festivals and events that adds to the festival landscape of Saint Lucia.”
He said that part of ESL’s objectives is to produce and manage events and festivals of a high standard in collaboration with existing agencies, non-governmental and government departments.
Tickets are set to go on sale by the end of August, so keep an eye out for early bird offers. This festival is a significant addition to Saint Lucia’s festival landscape and is expected to further enhance the island’s reputation as a festival destination.
To the Management – WHY ARE THE COMMENT SECTIONS SO FAR DOWN FROM THE STORY?