Free entry not yet possible for emancipation festival— Hon Hodge-Smith
“There is definitely a cost for the annual emancipation festival,” Hodge-Smith reiterated during the May 14, 2025 Virgin Islands Voice broadcast, bluntly dismissing any notion that the festival could be held without charge at present. “We will get to be in free entry one of these days but it’s not going to happen now, because we do have to raise the funds.”
Providing further clarification on the status quo, she reminded of strict adherence to budget limits this year, noting the Premier’s clear instructions to “stick within budget” and avoid requests for additional funding.
“That has always been a stickler, trying to stick within the budget and not necessarily having to return for additional funds,” she said.
Reduce paid nights
According to Hon Hodge-Smith, the costs extend far beyond artist fees, detailing also that logistical complexities inflate expenses further. “There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes events, there are a lot of activities. There’s a stage, there’s a building up of the village and we have three villages in terms of the different communities that we’re actually staging the events and activities. So there is a cost.”
Further qualifying her position, she related that, “Bringing in the artists, there is a cost. So it’s not just paying the artists. Of course, you have to fly them in. You have to put them up for accommodations and then there’s a per diem that they have to receive and these are all part of their contracts.”
In terms of ticketing, the government, she said, is aiming to reduce the number of paid-entry nights but admits some charging remains inevitable. “We will be looking at the days in which there will be paying nights. If we can possibly have less nights being paid, we will try our utmost best to do that. But there definitely will be some nights when they’re paid.”
According to the Minister, “there is a cost that we have to cover in order for us to produce the festival and at the level in which we want to produce it.”
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17 Responses to “Free entry not yet possible for emancipation festival— Hon Hodge-Smith”
When it rains is mud you walking in like a set of pigs
The village only advised sex drugs violence and gangs in most of there songs anyways. Even the songs that played when no one is performing.
But we will see you guys in the news again crying about crime and youths being led astray.
Have fun guys and keep safe
Btw don't forget last couple festival there fights between gangs
Someone got in with a firearm but his friends was able to get off of him before police caught on. Also knives being passed through fences. Idk why you need weapons to go listen to music and enjoy yourselves but like I keep saying those events mostly attract criminals, smokers, drugman, street man, self degrading women and girls, pedos, rapist, alcoholics, thugs, theif, low quality men/women and people of low standards and low self esteem.
Who vex , vex.
And the last thing few festivals back some one was robbed at gun point by masked men in there way from in the vehicle.
I always said y'all got dudes with mask on in festival, jueve, parades and think it's ok and fun but when those same men with mask pull up on you it won't be fun. Please at least keep these guys from wearing mask at these events it sends the wrong msg especially to the youths
I remember going to festival for free and now you made it a business. The booth owners has to pay to setup shop and they still have to sell there food but when you are charging that kind of money to get into the village I can't support the booth owers, I can't even take my children there to the sides and to get something to eat because of the prices of everything. So just make it free because it emancipation