Bacchanal Jamaica’s J’Ouvert was certainly not short on the vibes, quality entertainment, and, of course, paint!

As promised, the mega-sized event kicked off at its stipulated start time inside Mas Camp near the National Stadium. But, unlike many events — no warm-up was needed as patrons were ready to immerse themselves in the unlimited paint provided.

Trinidadian soca artiste Nailah Blackman, along with Vincentian singer Skinny Fabulous — the night’s guests artistes — made the event even more memorable as they took their loyal fans down memory lane with some of their older tunes. Nonetheless, the zenith of their set was the performance of 2023 crowd-favourite Come Home.

It was hard to miss being painted, but nobody took it personally, and, for most women, shower caps and bonnets were the order of the night to protect their hairdos.

On top of all the festivities, VIP patrons enjoyed unlimited liquor and food.

The disc jockeys included Barrie Hype, Ova Dose, Sinistar, Tyler, Patrick The Hypeman, Franco, and Brush1 The Road Marshal. Even though it was a soca party, they didn’t shy away from including dancehall hits and a dash of other international genres.

The event ended with a mini road march until the sun came up.

Even though the socaphiles had been out for hours on their feet, they did not express fatigue when the Jamaica Observer caught up with some.

“I am here with my friends from Miami, and this is our first time jumping with Bacchanal. We can’t wait for Sunday if this is the same energy that we will see,” said Jada Barrett.

Another patron said she was pleasantly surprised by how the event was executed.

“Typically, these parties are standard soca music, with some alcohol, and that’s it. But we had so many attractions here and we got the cutest souvenirs,” Kayla White told the Observer.

Today, Bacchanal Jamaica, Xodus, Yard Mas, and GenXs will hit the streets of Kingston for their respective parades as a veritable climax to the season.