The Government of Antigua and Barbuda, in consultation with the CARICOM Secretariat, has announced that CARIFESTA XV — scheduled for 12–22 August 2021 in Antigua and Barbuda — will now be staged 11–21 August 2022, due to the continued challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastating impact on the region’s economy. Minister of Sports, Culture and Arts Daryll Matthew made the announcement during a virtual meeting on 8th October, re-affirming the Government’s commitment to hosting the festival. He described CARIFESTA as “a platform for our region to showcase to the world the unrivalled prowess of our people” and called for the 2022 event to be used as “a moment for the re-imagining and re-engaging of our collective progress and destiny.”