Eight years after it was first conceptualised, the organisers of Xodus Carnival have upped their offerings with the introduction of the Xodus Xperience Zone.

“The Xodus Xperience Zone is a revamp of our lunch spot, which is a staple offering as part of our road march. This year, we have taken steps to increase the offerings to our revellers while we take a break from the road and offer them new services such as our on-site Backpack Distribution. Introducing this zone is all in keeping with our 2024 theme of evolution, where we listen to what our revellers have been asking for, anticipate their needs, and include that in our plans to ensure our revellers have a great Xodus Carnival,” Pierre Goubault, Xodus Carnival CEO, said in an interview with the Jamaica Observer last week.

Xodus Carnival started as a project under both the Yuma Carnival band from Trinidad and Dream Entertainment. In 2023, Xodus Carnival branched out as its own company with a full-time team led by Goubault. The move was in a bid to expand the brand, which first started out with 1,500 revellers and today has more than 4,000 among its participants.

Asked what has kept the Xodus going over the years, Goubault said “The Xodus Family of revellers, who have been keeping us focused on repeatedly delivering excellent designs and a great road march experience. They challenge us to think bigger with every execution we do, and that allows us as a brand to always be ahead of the curve.”

Goubault reinforced the aims and objectives of the band.

“Xodus Carnival is also one of the few Mas bands outside of Trinidad and we have been able to attract revellers from across the globe, which has resulted in not only the growth of our band, but also the Carnival in Jamaica product. For 2024, we will widen our footsteps by participating in more Carnivals internationally, providing revellers with an opportunity to have the same Jamaican Xodus Xperience in as many countries as possible.”

He also highlighted some of the major achievements of Xodus since its inception.

“In our second year we became the biggest band in Jamaica, and in our fifth year we have the largest band to ever be in Jamaica, even bigger than most in Trinidad Carnival. Now in our seventh year of being on the road, we are launching our in-house design and production company MasCreate Studios,” said Goubault.

Goubault recalled the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the event.

“It was a really tough year for us and our revellers. [The year] 2020 was slated to be our biggest year yet. Even though we had to postpone and suffer a lower attendance, it made us a stronger company and challenged us to revamp the way we operate,” he said.

Xodus Carnival has participated in several events outside of Jamaica, including those in the Cayman Islands, Trinidad and Miami.

And what’s in store for revellers at this year’s event?

“This year, our Xodus patrons can look out for more Carnival week fetes, shorter routes, engaging activations along the route, an amazing DJ and artiste line-up, an engaging lunch stop experience, and, of course, there are some surprise activations that we don’t want to speak about yet but that we know our Xodus family will enjoy,” Goubault assured.

He also added, “While we continue to grow and expand as a company, we could not have achieved what we have over these 7 years without the support of our Xodus Family. Every reveller who has jumped on the road with us, every patron who attends our fetes, we cannot thank you enough. We have been listening to our revellers’ needs and concerns and we have internally addressed all the issues to provide the best experience for 2024. We look forward to serving you on April 7 and beyond.”