Local band Light, with lead singer Clara Reyes, at the opening of Regatta Village on Monday night.
COLE BAY--Regatta Village officially opened at 6:00pm Monday, March 2, the first night of the fortieth edition of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta.
The Heineken Regatta runs a full week of activities at Regatta Village, with performances by more than 20 local bands, dance groups, and deejays.
Monday’s festivities started with DJ Shine. “Light” took the stage around 7:00pm with their high energy Afro-Caribbean drumbeats. “Light” comprises a large group of musicians headed by local cultural icon Clara Reyes.
Performances for today, Tuesday, start with Sweet Pan Entertainment from 12:00 to 2:00pm. Sweet Pan is made up of seven members who enjoy performing a range of music, including reggae, zouk, hip hop, soca, RnB, and a little bit of jazz.
Various food vendors will be open, catering to the lunch crowd.
Registration for sailing races will be from 10:00am to 6:00pm.
National Institute of the Arts (NIA) Youth Orchestra will take the stage at 4:00pm.
After NIA’s performance there will be a Pub Quiz organised by St. Maarten Yacht Club (SMYC).
Music will be provided by Dale Buchan, former member of Australian pop/rock duo The Firetree.
Race registration continues Wednesday, March 4.
Sweet Pan Entertainment and NIA’s Youth Orchestra will be performing between 12:00 and 6:00pm. Additional music will be provided by local band Avocado Pie.
The Regatta races begin on Thursday morning and more than 150 boats are expected to be at the starting line.
The Regatta Village opens at 4:00pm Thursday with a show by band Kainos.
DJ Em will be the host deejay for Thursday night. There will also be a DJ Spin-Off that night, with two teams of DJs battling each other as they select songs from different music genres. The audience will vote on which DJ wins each spin-off. The winning team gets to carry the title until the next Regatta.
The final act for Thursday evening will be Hip Hop legend Grandmaster Flash.
Calypsonian Erno “Young Dow” York and Skillful Band will open the activities on Friday, March 6.
The host DJ on Friday night will be DJ Prince. There will be performances by Betti V, Asher Otto and Itchy Feet, and King Rumer.
Saturday’s activities will be opened by Saba reggae group One Blood Band. DJ Mixmaster Pauly will be the host deejay for the night and will introduce the evening’s acts. Local band Youth Waves will perform from 8:15 to 9:30pm. Jamaican artist Tessellated and reggae legends Inner Circle round out the night.
The final day, Sunday, opens with calypsonian Mighty Dow at 3:00pm. Prizegiving for Regatta participants takes place between 6:00 and 8:00pm.
After the prizegiving, Cutcreator DJ Outkast will entertain the crowd. Tanya Michelle and What the Funk will perform between 8:30 and 10:00pm. The night’s headliner is hip hop artist Flo Rida.
The Regatta Village will be open every day of the Regatta, with food and drinks available for lunch and dinner. The eco/art park will host a variety of eco-friendly businesses and various local artists.
For more event information and daily updates, persons are encouraged to visit the Regatta website or follow the Regatta’s social media channels.
