The curtains have closed on one of the Caribbean’s most celebrated pageants, the Jaycees Queen Show, as organizers confirm the event will not return for Antigua and Barbuda’s 2025 Carnival.
The decision, announced by Antigua and Barbuda Creative Industries Minister Daryll Matthew during a recent broadcast, comes amid financial constraints and changing regional participation patterns.
“It has been a staple on the Carnival calendar for decades,” Minister Matthew said. “Last year, we managed to convince them to reconsider, but this year, they’ve once again indicated the show will not be taking place.”
Organized by Junior Chamber International Antigua, the regional pageant has long been a platform for young women across the Caribbean including the British Virgin Islands, which is a regular participant. Most recently, Miss BVI 2023, Adacia Adonis, proudly represented the territory and secured 4th place at the 2024 Jaycees Queen Show.
The show’s cancellation is part of a larger trend, as Minister Matthew noted the rising cost of staging queen pageants has led to multiple cancellations region-wide. “They are tremendously expensive to put on,” he added.
Although private sponsors stepped in to support the event in 2024, the likelihood of another last-minute rescue appears slim with the Carnival season rapidly approaching. The absence of the Jaycees Queen Show in 2025 signals the end, at least for now, of an era that celebrated cultural exchange, pageantry, and Caribbean unity. For countries like the BVI, it also removes a prestigious international stage for showcasing national pride and talent.