TRIBE

Who TRIBE is

TRIBE says it has been on the road "since 2004" and that it pioneered "the country's first all-inclusive Carnival band", the model where your costume price also covers drinks, food, security and the rest of the day.¹ Photographer Mark Lyndersay's "Tribe at 10" column marked the band's tenth anniversary in 2014, which fits that date; it grew out of a popular section in the band Poison.² It is the flagship of Tribe Carnival, whose chief executive Dean Ackin also runs Bliss, Harts and The Lost Tribe.³ The Trinidad Guardian has described TRIBE, alongside Bliss and Harts, as one of the group's "more party-type bands", while The Lost Tribe is the one built for the Band of the Year competition.⁴

In practice that means bikini-and-beads pretty mas, big music trucks and a road experience where almost everything is handled for you. In recent years the four sister bands have unveiled their costumes together at a July launch, and they finish Carnival Tuesday at a shared Las Lap, but each has its own sections and route, and you cannot switch between them on the day.^1,5

Carnival 2027: Elysia

For 2027 TRIBE plays Elysia, a mythology theme in which the gods of old "descend onto the ground", "living and breathing in TRIBE Elysia".¹ It was unveiled at the group's World Cup-themed Launch Cup at the Queen's Park Savannah.⁶ The official site lists 17 costume designs, among them Pyra, Zorya, Nyx, Nymph, Neoma and Ambrosia, by designers including Shawn Dhanraj, Solange Govia, Atiba Borde, Gail Cabral and JP Richardson. Pyra, Valoria and Zorya are marked as private sections.^1,7

What a day on the road looks like

TRIBE's package covers both Carnival Monday and Tuesday. Mobile bars serve unlimited drinks on demand, with brands such as Johnnie Walker, Hennessy, Angostura rums and Carib beer, plus roaming Shot Barrels and Sip N' Chip stations.^1,8 Lunch is at the TRIBE Lunch Park in the Queen's Park Savannah on both days: it is your first stop on Monday before the road, and your midday break on Tuesday. The band lists barbecue, jerk, smoked meats and street food such as doubles and pholourie, along with massage services, costume fixes and medics.¹

Tuesday adds breakfast, hot bites from the Carnival Cafe and evening snacks. Throughout, you get security, paramedics, air-conditioned mobile restrooms, a shuttle service and roaming photographers. When the road ends on Tuesday, Las Lap brings masqueraders from all four sister bands together for one last jam, with music trucks, snacks and drinks.^1,8

How registration works

Registration for Carnival 2027 opened in July 2026. Phase 1 ran through TRIBE's committee members and marketing affiliates, who are all named on the registration page, and 2026 masqueraders could contact the mas camp directly.⁵ To register you give your sizes (bra and bottom sizes for women, waist size for men) and pay a down payment of TT$2,500 (US$400) within five days. Large or extra-large backpacks need a bigger deposit.^5,9

The full balance is due by 30 November 2026. You can pay with cash or LINX at the mas camp, #20 Rosalino Street in Woodbrook, or by Visa or Mastercard online. Cheques are not accepted.^1,9 Costumes are collected at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain in early February 2027, and the last distribution day is Carnival Thursday, 4 February 2027. Anything not collected by then is forfeited.^1,5

Tips for first-timers choosing TRIBE

• Budget for the base package plus extras. As of October 2026, women's packages on the section pages run from TT$7,295 to TT$9,745, and men's packages start at TT$5,695 for a Revel Male option. Backpacks and headpieces cost extra: Icon Backpack upgrades range from TT$6,650 to TT$15,995 depending on the section.⁷
• Mind the earlier deadline. TRIBE wants full payment by 30 November, a month before its sister bands Bliss and The Lost Tribe.⁹
• Only book through an official channel. That means the mas camp, a listed committee member or a listed marketing affiliate. Anything else may not be a valid registration.⁹
• Pick a meeting point inside the band. TRIBE's own tips suggest agreeing on a spot, such as one side of a particular DJ truck, in case you lose your friends. They also suggest carrying only a little "vex money", tucked out of sight.⁸

Sources

1. TRIBE Carnival official website (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹

2. Mark Lyndersay: Tribe at 10 (Trinidad Guardian, 3 Mar 2014) (opens in a new tab) ↩

3. Trinidad Express: Lost Tribe is Band of the Year (19 Feb 2026) (opens in a new tab) ↩

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

5. TRIBE, Registration (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

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

7. TRIBE, Our Costumes (prices are listed on each section page, e.g. Pyra) (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩²

8. TRIBE, On D Road (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩² ↩³

9. TRIBE, FAQs (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴