ONE of the newer bands on the block, Xodus, last carnival season proved that it was one of the well supported carnival bands.

A fast-approaching 2018 carnival season has pushed Xodus to position itself in a league of its own. The launch will unfold on Saturday at the Pearly Gates, 36 Hope Road, where revellers will witness the unveiling of an amazing plethora of costumes.

The brainchild of Jamaica’s biggest entertainment company, Dream Entertainment and YUMA, Xodus has once again partnered with local and regional designers to create what will be the best carnival costumes for the 2018 season. The theme for the costumes is “League of Angels”, and patrons can expect to experience a slice of heaven.

“The revellers — the Xodus family have given us feedback that the experience on the road for 2017 raised the bar in what we have come to expect in Jamaica for a carnival road parade. For 2018 we will be growing the size of our band and thus maintaining the title of biggest road parade in Carnival in Jamaica. We always work to ensure that our patrons leave carnival day saying, yes, this journey was all worth it. From the launch event on Saturday to the costumes, costume redemption, lead-up fetes and, most importantly, the road experience will all be ‘beyond compare’,” said Kamal Bankay, director, Dream Entertainment.

“Our launch day is right around the corner and everyone’s questions will be answered. We know that patrons expectations are high and I can assure you that they will be met.”

Carnival is the biggest cultural celebration in the region, and with the rapid growth of Carnival in Jamaica, we have seen significant improvement in the size and quality of our product locally. The joint ministry/government launch, band launches, lead-up fetes and the final road parade are all set to bring record-breaking numbers of revellers to Jamaica with Xodus ‘fete-ing’ them in fine style. Preliminary estimates from the government show that in 2017, carnival in Jamaica had an economic impact of over $500 million on the local economy. Xodus hopes to do its part to grow Carnival in Jamaica with huge benefits to our local industries through this huge international product.