SINT MAARTEN (GREAT BAY) - The St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF) has released the results of its 2025 post-Carnival online survey, revealing a comprehensive picture of attendee satisfaction, event preferences, spending behavior, and areas for strategic improvement.
The findings, drawn from a diverse cross-section of participants, offer critical data that will help shape the planning and execution of Carnival 2026 and beyond. 803 respondents participated.
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A combined 60.2% of respondents rated their overall experience as Good (41.1%) or Very Good (19.1%), signaling that the core experience of Carnival continues to resonate positively with attendees.
Meanwhile, 32.6% rated their experience as Fair, a middle-ground response that suggests there are areas needing refinement. Only a small portion gave negative ratings, with Poor at 6.2% and Very Poor at 1.0%.
“This feedback affirms that we are on the right track in delivering a memorable Carnival, but it also challenges us to dig deeper into what makes the difference between a fair and great experience,” said the SCDF.
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When it comes to actual participation, Concerts (27.2%) and Parades (26.5%) were the most attended events, closely followed by J’ouvert (21.7%). Local musical shows drew 16.3%, while Pageants attracted the least participation at just 3%.
Respondents’ preferences largely mirrored attendance trends. International concerts emerged as the top preferred event type (27.3%), followed by Parades (23.8%), J’ouvert (22.3%), and Local Musical Shows (20.2%). Once again, Pageants (6.3%) ranked the lowest in preference, suggesting the need for a reimagined pageant format.
These patterns confirm a growing demand for entertainment-driven events, particularly those with strong musical lineups and crowd engagement.
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In terms of atmosphere and creativity in Carnival Village, 57.2% of respondents rated it Excellent (11.3%) or Good (45.9%), while 36.6% felt it was Average. A small minority (6.3%) gave it a Poor rating. This reflects a generally strong but improvable ambiance in the Village.
Food options in Carnival Village received relatively strong reviews, with 44.3% rating the food as Good and 38.2% rating it Average. However, just 10% found it Excellent, and 7.5% described it as Poor.
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Participants in Carnival spent between $182.33 and $489.80 on average during Carnival, with the most funds going to:
Show Tickets (39.8%)
Food in Carnival Village (36.1%)
Clothing (12.2%)
These results show that live events and food remain the main economic drivers of Carnival-related spending. Meanwhile, expenses related to Lodging (3.4%) and Transportation (2.2%) were minimal for most participants—likely due to the high local turnout.
When evaluating value for money, 52.6% rated it as Fair, 28.6% as Good, and 4.3% as Very Good. However, 14.5% believed it was Poor or Very Poor. "These findings indicate a perceived gap between cost and delivery, especially in premium-priced events. Improving value perception could involve better ticketing transparency, added perks, or bundled event experiences," the SCDF said.
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Among international concert nights, Bouyon Night stood out as the clear favorite, with 30.1% of respondents selecting it as the best show. Night of the Hit Makers (21.1%), Caribbean Flag Fest (20.5%) followed closely, Bacchanal Sunday (17.1%) while Latin Night garnered the least support (1.7%). It should be noted that Lati Night is an extremely niche event and many of its core supporters probably did not participate in the survey. It also indicates however, that Latin Night needs to broaden its appeal.
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An overwhelming 86.5% of respondents said they are either Likely (22.3%) or Very Likely (64.2%) to recommend St. Maarten Carnival to others. This is a powerful endorsement of the Carnival brand and a key indicator of satisfaction and cultural pride. Only 1.4% said they would be unlikely to recommend it, a strong sign of brand loyalty and confidence in the event.
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The largest segment of survey participants were aged 36 to 55 (43.7%), followed by those 22 to 35 (39.7%). Youths aged 15 to 21 represented just 10%, while 6.7% were 56 and older.
This age distribution highlights the core demographic Carnival is attracting; working adults who are financially equipped to participate fully in the experience. The limited participation from the youngest and oldest age groups could be addressed through targeted programing as well as customized marketing campaigns.
Public Recommendations
The survey also offered a section where respondents could specifically indicate what they did not like about Carnival 2025 and offer recommendations. The most recurring complaints were about intoxication of young people, vulgarity of costumes and music during the parades, the high cost of food and shows in Carnival Village, the lack of more cultural events although the survey indicated that these are not well supported.
Recommendations included extending the ending times for concerts, having dedicated taxis available at Carnival Village, early announcement of international artists by the promoters, re-launching the Carnival app for a central location for information and including all shows in the season pass package.
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SCDF emphasized that the survey results will directly inform the planning process for Carnival 2026, which marks the 55th anniversary of the event. With the sponsorship window now open, SCDF is also actively engaging with potential corporate partners, using these findings to highlight audience behavior, value propositions, and collaborative opportunities.
“We are grateful to everyone who took the time to share their thoughts. There are over 1,000 comments and suggestions and we will go through all of them and adapt where feasible. Your input helps us evolve this celebration not just as a cultural event, but as a dynamic, responsive experience that reflects and uplifts our community,” SCDF stated.
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