The Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage is promising that 2027 will be a year to remember with events including a “broader, bigger” and “special” 50th anniversary of Pirates Week, a possible return of May’s popular gospel concert and a brand-new festival in February.
While details of the new festival are scarce, events are still being planned for the second half of 2026, with the ministry requesting an additional $1.4 million in the recent Finance Committee meeting to “support the delivery of cultural events, expand youth and community engagement initiatives”, as well as provide resources for a new events officer.
Spending requests
Before the amount was approved by MPs, Opposition Leader Joey Hew asked Culture Minister Isaac Rankine to explain why the additional sum was being requested on top of an original budget of just over $1.9 million, which had already been supplemented by additional funds of $1.2 million from the 2027 budget and an extra $650,000 which had been approved in April.
Hew said, “We are just six months into the budget, so I do believe this needs a bit of an explanation.”
He later added, “How could it have been so grossly under-budgeted just six months ago? I mean, have we added new events? Have the events cost more than anticipated? The math ain’t mathing.”
In response, Rankine said that new events had been organised since the budget was allocated, such as the premiere of Frank E. Flowers epic drama “The Bluff”, as well as other events “that we know will benefit our community and our country”.
Celebrate Cayman is the body which organises many national events, such as Heroes Day and Heritage Month and the well-received gospel concert “Threads to Our Traditions” featuring internationally acclaimed gospel artist Tasha Cobbs Leonard.
Held at the Agriculture Grounds on 2 May, the event, dedicated to faith, cultural expression, and national identity in the Cayman Islands, had surpassed all expectations, said Rankine.
Public support
“I told my team, listen, only put out 800 chairs,” Rankine said. “Within the first hour, we had to send back and get another 500 chairs. And when I myself personally stood up on one of the platforms and looked around, I was really and truly amazed at the outpouring of support for something like that.”
He added, “That shows that the country needs these kinds of things, and I will continue to support those things with the support of this committee and my caucus colleagues.”
Premier André Ebanks rose to say that “the value that these events bring to the island can’t be understated,” adding that almost 3,000 people attended the gospel concert.
“That level of unity, no value can be put on it, and there were calls that night to do it again in 2027,” he added.
Independent MP Chris Saunders said that events were crucial in Cayman’s diverse community to bring people together, which “we should never take for granted”.
He added, “We have seen too many islands where that diversity has pretty much caused all different kinds of tensions among some of the populace. So, I think this is actually quite commendable.”
The supplementary spending request was approved unanimously.
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