Government spent $650,000 on Emancipation Day celebrations

It was a party that many in Cayman will remember for a long time. And a bill they will be paying for even longer.

The Cayman Islands government spent more than $650,000 of public funds on celebrations for Emancipation Day this year.

Cayman’s newest public holiday went off with a bang, with the bulk of those funds being spent on fireworks and drone shows on Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac.

While a new museum exhibit and performances from folk dancers and traditional drummers did help celebrate and commemorate Cayman’s unique history, the larger part of the expenses went to overseas performers.

The lavish celebrations saw entertainers pack the streets of both islands in separate events featuring local street food, music and artistic demonstrations.

Six-figure drone display

That cost of the international drone show came to just over $148,000, including $67,000 for the second show on the Brac.

Just getting the drones to the Cayman Islands was a costly enterprise. Expenses detailed in a freedom of information response to the Cayman Compass indicate freight and shipping fees in excess of $30,000 specifically for the equipment associated with that show. More than $5,000 was spent on accommodation for the drone display team.

The bill for ‘local performances’ was $88,000.

Relatively modest amounts went to musicians, poets and artists, however. The Swanky Kitchen Band was paid $5,500 for its performances while the Heat Band received $1,500 and Cayman Fire Power Display was paid $9,000 for a fireworks display in Grand Cayman.

Other government entities are also on the events payroll, included Pedro St. James, which received more than $18,000 for hosting three days of events, and the Cayman Turtle Centre, which was paid $1,000 for a turtle release that coincided with the activities.

Some of the biggest expenses appear to have been associated with taking the show over to the Brac. 

An additional $45,000 was spent on stage platforms and another $20,000 on more fireworks, as well as extra funding for airfare, car rentals and hotel rooms for performers and government officials.

Heavy cake and swanky

Local vendors did get a chance to make some money, particularly on food, where government spent $55,000 on catering, with Cayman vendors putting on everything from heavy cake and swanky to patties and street food.

A further $28,000 was spent on merchandise, including hats, T-shirts and water bottles. Beyond the core events, government paid $50,000 to different district committees to organise their own Emancipation Day celebrations.

Speaking during the main celebration in Grand Cayman on 6 May, Minister for Heritage Isaac Rankine said even bigger and better things are planned for next year now that the celebration has been re-established.

The Compass obtained the expense records for the event following enquiries from readers who had suggested the money could have been better spent.

By comparison, the ministry spends $1.16 million each year on the entire budget of the Cayman National Cultural Foundation and gives $891,920 to the Cayman Islands National Museum, and spent $89,000 on Cayman’s Olympic team.

On receipt of the records, the Compass submitted questions to Rankine and his chief officer Teresa Echenique, and has not received a response.

This is what we asked:

• $650,000 seems a lot to spend on one celebration – albeit across a number of events. How was that budget decided?
• The drone show, in particular, seems like an enormous expense. Why was that considered necessary?
• Is it the plan to spend similar amounts on these events going forward?
• Was there any business case or calculation of return on investment done for this event?
• Was there any analysis of how this money might have been better spent (for example, to help the Olympic team, to enhance the National Museum, to support the cultural foundation)?