Bermuda Heroes Weekend 2015: The Island’s Inaugural Carnival, J’Ouvert & Parade
In June 2015, Bermuda launched a new Carnival tradition with the inaugural Bermuda Heroes Weekend, bringing Soca, J’Ouvert, mas, steelpan and National Heroes Day celebrations together across four days.
From a packed opening concert on Front Street to paint-covered J’Ouvert revelers greeting the sunrise and colorful masqueraders taking over Royal Naval Dockyard, the first edition gave Bermuda a Carnival weekend of its own.
Running from June 12 through June 15, the celebration featured some of the Caribbean’s biggest Soca names alongside Bermuda DJs, local masqueraders and newly formed Carnival bands.
Opening Night on Front Street
The weekend began on Friday, June 12, 2015, with a free Soca concert on Front Street in Hamilton.
Kes The Band, Kerwin Du Bois, Lyrikal, Lead Pipe & Saddis and other performers helped launch the festivities as crowds filled the city for the start of the four-day celebration.
DJs including Crown Prince & Barrie Hype, DJ Rusty and DJ Stephen kept the energy moving between performances.
It was the kind of opening night that made the weekend’s intentions clear: Bermuda was ready to fete.
J’Ouvert Before Sunrise
A few hours later, the celebration moved west for J’Ouvert.
Beginning in the early morning of Saturday, June 13, revelers gathered at Royal Naval Dockyard for paint, powder, Soca and the unmistakable energy of a Caribbean J’Ouvert.
The event had originally been promoted for Morgan’s Point, but organizers relocated both J’Ouvert and the Parade of Bands to Dockyard shortly before Carnival weekend.
That change did little to slow the party.
As the sun rose over Bermuda, revelers were already covered in paint and dancing behind DJs and music trucks.
Mas Takes Over Dockyard
Later that day, the costumes came out for the Parade of Bands.
Masqueraders filled Royal Naval Dockyard in feathers, color and Carnival energy as bands including Passion, Party People, Off Level, Caribbean Massive, The Dill Family and Real Frenz took part in the celebration.
Soca poured from the trucks while masqueraders chipped, jumped and danced through the route.
For many on the island, this was the moment Bermuda’s new Carnival truly came to life.
Ornella joined the road in costume by Passions Mas, bringing viewers directly into the experience from among the masqueraders.
Four Days of Bermuda Heroes Weekend
The celebration continued beyond Saturday’s J’Ouvert and parade.
On Sunday, June 14, Pan in the Park brought steelpan into Victoria Park, adding another Caribbean tradition to the weekend.
The festivities concluded on Monday, June 15, with the National Heroes Day Raft-Up off Admiralty House.
Together, the events created a full Carnival weekend built around music, mas, community and Bermuda’s National Heroes holiday.
What began in 2015 would continue growing in the years that followed, eventually becoming one of the island’s signature annual celebrations.
From the Julianspromos Archives
The inaugural Bermuda Heroes Weekend also marked an important milestone for Julianspromos.
It was the company’s first trip to Bermuda, following an invitation from the Bermuda Heroes Weekend Committee to cover the launch of the new Carnival celebration.
Julianspromos documented Opening Night, J’Ouvert and the Parade of Bands through three original videos and extensive photography from the weekend.
Ornella served as guest host during the Parade of Bands while playing mas in costume by Passions Mas.
The coverage was filmed and edited by Julian C. Hackett, adding Bermuda to Julianspromos’ expanding Caribbean and international Carnival coverage during the 2010s.
