YUMA

Who YUMA is

YUMA is an all-inclusive band based at 76 Tragarete Road in Port of Spain, and it is not one of the four Tribe Carnival bands.^1,2 Tanya Gomes has led it for years: the Trinidad Express has called her bandleader and director, and Express Vibes described her as co-director in 2025.^3,4,5 The band calls its masqueraders YUMANs.⁶ YUMA has been criticised by some Carnival purists for its revealing bikini-and-beads mas. Gomes's answer is that mas, like fashion, evolves, and that YUMA has "always been inclusive and catered for other body types".⁴

Competition is not the main focus. As Gomes told Express Vibes in 2024, "Yuma is not about competition, but plenty vibes."⁷

Carnival 2027: Ferocious

YUMA's 2027 presentation is Ferocious, "determined to capture the inner animal instinct and endurance of our human nature", under the line "there is no beauty, if there is no beast".¹ The costume page lists 13 sections. In recent years the band has played LUXE: A Lavish Escape (2026), Echoes of Iere (2025), a tribute to the islands' Indigenous roots, and On Tour (2024), a tour of world festivals.^5,8,4

What a day on the road looks like

Your package covers two days. There is an all-inclusive premium bar with spirits, cocktails, beer and non-alcoholic drinks, and lunch on both Carnival Monday and Tuesday at the band's Lunch/Rest Stop on the CIC Grounds, Serpentine Road, St Clair, near Mandela Park. Tuesday adds breakfast, and the Munchies Truck serves local snacks on the road.⁹

The lunch stop has makeup touch-up and device charging stations. On the road you get a long list of DJs, a security team the band puts at more than 400 people, medical staff and ambulances, air-conditioned restroom trailers and rest buses.^9,6 YUMA says the band leaves its meeting point at 10am on Carnival Monday and 7am on Tuesday. The meeting point itself is announced on Carnival Sunday, because the route depends on the National Carnival Commission and the police.⁹

How registration works

Pre-registration runs in the month before the band launch. After that you register on the website: choose a section on the Costumes page, click Register Now and complete the form in the registration portal.⁹ After your deposit you can make monthly payments. Add-ons such as feathered backpacks need a 50% deposit at registration, with the balance due by 31 October.⁹

The FAQ page gives 31 January 2027 as the final payment deadline, but elsewhere on the same page says the deadline will be announced closer to Carnival. Watch your email for confirmation.⁹ All payments are non-refundable and cannot be moved to a future year. If you cannot go, the only authorised way to resell your costume is through YUMA's official Marketplace.⁹

Tips for first-timers choosing YUMA

• Check bra sizes early. If YUMA does not carry your size, some sections let you send your own bra for an extra US$50, by DHL or FedEx only. For 2027 the cut-off was 30 September 2026, so ask the mas camp what options are left.⁹
• Plan your own Monday wear. YUMA does not provide it.⁹
• Do not count on backpack storage. The band says there is none on the road, so choose a backpack you are happy to carry all day.⁹
• Book beauty services separately. Makeup, hair and nails are not part of the package. They come from independent providers.⁹

Sources

1. YUMA official website (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩²

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

3. Trinidad Express: YUMA awakens the mas (opens in a new tab) ↩

4. Trinidad Express: YUMA goes 'On Tour' for Carnival 2024 (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩² ↩³

5. Express Vibes: YUMA Launches LUXE, A Lavish Escape (1 Jul 2025) (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩²

6. YUMA, The Road Experience (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩²

7. Express Vibes: Behind The Mas, Yuma to bring plenty vibes On Tour (23 Jan 2024) (opens in a new tab) ↩

8. Trinidad Guardian: YUMA brings Echoes of Iere to Carnival 2025 (3 Jul 2024) (opens in a new tab) ↩

9. YUMA, FAQs (opens in a new tab) ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹