by Eulana Weekes
St. Kitts and Nevis (WINN): The St. Kitts Music Festival committee and local tourism officials anticipate that the event in its 2025 season will be the best one yet, with a historic ticket sales and attendance record.
Ticket sales got underway in December 2024, and with almost six months of early bird ticket sales, tickets had been going like wildfire. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Tivanna Wharton, encouraged individuals to purchase their tickets before the weekend’s showcase to secure their entry into the Warner Park Stadium.
“We anticipate an even bigger crowd this time around, and this is the first time in history that we’ve started selling tickets so early. Tickets went on sale, I think it was the 28th of December last year—first time in history. So we’re very pleased to have accomplished that to date. I mean, I will not give the numbers, but even on one of the slowest nights, the ticket sales as of today(June 18) have far surpassed what we have seen in previous years, and so we’re quite pleased. So, for persons who haven’t yet purchased their tickets, I’m encouraging you to do so. I think I said it at the launch as well, that this may very well be a sold-out music festival. There is limited capacity, and for safety reasons, we have to ensure that, you know, we don’t go beyond the accepted limits within the space, ” said Wharton to host Leslie Sugar Bowl Morton on Freedom FM.
Physical tickets are on sale across the Federation at various outlets, but according to P.S. Wharton, there is a likelihood that Music Festival ticket sales would cut off online, because reports from vendors suggest that tickets are being sold ‘like hot bread and butter’ on the ground.
- The ticket outlets include:
- The Cable-St. Kitts
- Horsford’s Valu Mart in St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Kitts-Nevis Lottery across the federation.
- Ministry of Tourism- Pelican Mall, St. Kitts, from 9 am to 3 pm- Monday to Friday
Tickets will also be available for sale at the St. Kitts Marriott Resort from 10 am to 5 pm during the week of the festival, from June 23 to 28.
However, it’s a bit sketchy whether tickets will be sold on show nights, because organisers anticipate that tickets may not be available until then. If tickets are available, the sale of tickets at the football booth will start from 5 pm on show nights.
Similar to general admission tickets, VIP and VVIP tickets have also been selling rapidly, confirming how intentionally patrons are in enjoying themselves and being entertained by some of the finest artists on the local, regional, and international scene.
“Well, the VIPs, I’m told, I think Express Events are pretty much sold out. Yes, they’re sold out. I think they increased capacity beyond what they initially said they were going to cater for. They’re sold out. They may have tickets for the Thursday night. So if you are interested in Express Events, certainly purchase your tickets; likewise, for the White Sands VVIP lounge by Carambola. They are near capacity. They obviously cater for more persons. So you just might be lucky to get a few from them for the night. So I’m really encouraging persons to purchase their tickets, and I think what’s interesting, though, is that from next week, from Monday, we’re going to feel the energy of the people,” said Wharton.
There has been a boom in the hospitality sector, with hotels in St. Kitts reporting full capacity bookings over the Music Festival weekend, forcing prospective patrons from overseas to seek accommodation on Nevis.
“So, maybe about 80% of the early bird tickets initially were purchased by people from abroad. Right now, people can’t find not even one place to stay. So if you have Airbnb, put it up now. People are still searching. I’m told that the hotels in Nevis are even near capacity because people are willing to stay on Nevis and come to the festival on St. Kitts. We are really excited about the support from people in the region and internationally, because the truth is this is why the music festival was created, ” P.S. Wharton expressed.
Just over a week before the three-night musical affair, work was already ahead of pace on the grounds of the Warner Park Cricket and Football Stadiums, in preparation for the St. Kitts Music Festival, June 26 to 28, 2025.
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