Soca Monarch & Spicemas Shows 2026: The Grenada Competition Guide
Spicemas is not only fetes and road. A big part of the season is the shows, the competitions where the year's soca, calypso, and steel pan get judged in front of a packed crowd. If you want to see the artists who made the songs you will be jumping to all week, this is where you go. Here is what each show is and how to catch it in 2026.
Soca Monarch Finals — Friday, August 7
The headline competition. Two crowns go up on the same night: Power Soca Monarch for the fast, high-energy tracks pushing 135 bpm and above, and Groovy Soca Monarch for the slower songs that carry you onto the road. Artists bring full production — pyrotechnics, stage props, acrobatics — and the crowd is half the show. This runs deep into the night.
When: Friday, August 7, 2026 Where: National Stadium, Queen's Park, St. George's
[[CONFIRM: ticket link and gate time when released by Spicemas Corporation.]]
Panorama (Pantastic Saturday) — Saturday, August 8
This is the one for tradition. Panorama pits the island's steel bands against each other with full orchestral arrangements — up to 100 musicians playing together on stage. Even if pan is not what brought you to Grenada, a live Panorama night changes that. The sound of a full steel orchestra in person does not come through a speaker.
When: Saturday, August 8, 2026, 8 PM – midnight Where: National Stadium, Queen's Park, St. George's
Dimanche Gras — Sunday, August 9
The grand Sunday-night show that launches the final stretch. Three things happen on the same stage: the Calypso Monarch finals (the island's finest lyricists competing for the crown), the Carnival Queen pageant (seven contestants representing each parish, competing across beauty, talent, and cultural knowledge), and the King and Queen of the Bands showcase — the most elaborate wearable sculptures of the season. Dimanche Gras ends around 3 AM, and within hours the Jab Jab take the streets.
When: Sunday, August 9, 2026, 8 PM – 3 AM Where: National Stadium, Queen's Park, St. George's
Getting tickets and getting there
Shows sell tickets ahead of time, and the big ones can sell out, so buy early once they go on sale. Check the venue against where you are staying and plan your ride, since getting around on show nights takes longer than you think.
We post each confirmed show as an event, so keep an eye on What's New for dates and ticket links as they drop.
Part of the full Spicemas 2026 guide. Looking for the parties instead? See the fete calendar.