The Lost Tribe

Who The Lost Tribe is

The Lost Tribe was created in 2015 as part of the Tribe Carnival group.¹ Its bandleader and creative director is Valmiki Maharaj, who the Trinidad Guardian reports was appointed creative director of the Tribe Group in 2017.² Its sister bands TRIBE, Bliss and Harts lean toward the party. The Lost Tribe is the group's storytelling band: it builds each presentation around a theme with real cultural roots, and it competes seriously for the national titles.^1,3

The results show it. The band won Large Band of the Year in 2019 with Taj, then took the overall Band of the Year title in 2023 with 202WE.¹ It won again in 2024 with Fly, a portrayal of birds native to Trinidad and Tobago that also took the Downtown Carnival title,⁴ and then in 2025 and 2026, four years in a row.^3,5 In 2026, Island Circus scored 1,351 points and swept the national, Downtown and Uptown large band titles.^6,7 Vogue once called it "Carnival's Most Fashionable Carnival Band".¹

Carnival 2027: Stories of the Sand

For 2027 the band heads into the Arabian Nights with Stories of the Sand, built around the storyteller Scheherazade and "the enduring legacy of the Arab-Trinidadian community".⁸ The Syrian Lebanese Women's Association of Trinidad and Tobago supports the presentation. Maharaj told the Trinidad Guardian that working with the association helped the design team approach these cultural stories with care.^3,8 There are nine sections, from Hayya and Jahara to Jin and SinBAD, by designers including JP Richardson, Shawn Dhanraj, Solange Govia, Shari Winchester and Maharaj himself.⁹

What a day on the road looks like

The package runs from 10am to sundown on Carnival Monday, and from 7am to Las Lap on Carnival Tuesday.¹⁰ Mobile bars serve unlimited premium drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic. Lunch on both days is at a private, secured rest park with concerts by local acts, and Tuesday adds breakfast and a snack. You also get music trucks with local DJs, private security, an ambulance and paramedics, mobile restrooms, a free shuttle to the band, roaming photographers, a goody bag and a Las Lap cool-down when Tuesday ends.¹⁰

Masqueraders often describe the band as a "family band", and its section names and stories make it a good fit if you care about what your costume means.⁹ The band also runs Carnival Campus, a training space in Woodbrook with workshops in Carnival production skills.¹¹

How registration works

Registration runs in July and August before Carnival, until sections sell out.¹² You can register online, through a member of the band's listed team or marketing partners, or by emailing info@losttribecarnival.com (opens in a new tab).¹³ Women give their bra size, hipband size and bottom piece size, and men give their waist size. The down payment is TT$2,000 (US$320). The FAQ says it is due within five days of registering, but online bookings must be paid within 24 hours, so pay straight away to be safe.¹²

Costumes must be paid in full by 31 December 2026, and before collection. You can pay at the mas camp with cash or LINX, or online by Visa or Mastercard.^12,13 Distribution dates differ by section, and Carnival Friday is listed as the final collection date.¹²

Tips for first-timers choosing The Lost Tribe

• Prices are close across sections, but move fast. As of October 2026, women's packages run from TT$6,495 to TT$7,795 and men's from TT$6,095 to TT$6,595. Add-ons such as a bustle or backpack cost extra. Several sections, Jahara among them, were already listed as sold out by early October.¹⁴
• Expect a big band. The Lost Tribe competes in the large band category and had about 2,300 masqueraders in 2023. Pick a meeting point with your friends.¹
• Read the story before you choose. Each section has its own character and designer, and the band puts real weight on the theme. Choose the one you will enjoy wearing and explaining on the road.^8,9
• Check the schedule each year. Times above come from the band's On D Road page. The meeting point and route are confirmed closer to Carnival.¹⁰

Sources

1. Trinidad Guardian: Lost Tribe wins one for Carnival family (23 Feb 2023) (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. Trinidad Guardian: Lost Tribe director hailed as 'the next Peter Minshall' after band launch (23 Jul 2023) (opens in a new tab) ↩

3. Trinidad Guardian: World Cup fever meets mas as TRIBE unveils 2027 costumes (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩² ↩³

4. Trinidad Guardian: Lost Tribe, Kinetic ecstatic at PoS mas titles (15 Feb 2024) (opens in a new tab) ↩

5. Trinidad Guardian: Lost Tribe's 'beaver trick' a special win (18 Feb 2026) (opens in a new tab) ↩

6. TTT: Five And Counting, The Lost Tribe Reigns Again As Senior Large Band Of The Year (18 Feb 2026) (opens in a new tab) ↩

7. Trinidad Guardian: Lost Tribe cops 2026 triple crown (20 Feb 2026) (opens in a new tab) ↩

8. The Lost Tribe, About Us (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩² ↩³

9. The Lost Tribe official website (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩² ↩³

10. The Lost Tribe, On D Road (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩² ↩³

11. The Lost Tribe, Carnival Campus (opens in a new tab) ↩

12. The Lost Tribe, FAQs (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

13. The Lost Tribe, Registration (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩²

14. The Lost Tribe, Jahara section page (each section page lists its prices) (opens in a new tab) ↩