For the second-consecutive year Yard Mas pulled out all the dramatics for its official band launch.

Held at Palace Cineplex at Sovereign Centre on Sunday, under the theme Galleria, conceptualised by Yard Mas Director Richard “Richie Ras” Spence and guided by the vision of Anna-Lisa Gutherie, the band’s new creative director, costumes became moving masterpieces in an immersive cinematic showcase that announced the band’s readiness for Carnival 2026.

Excitement permeated the atmosphere accompanied by ear-shattering screams as the costumes came to life on the silver screens. From pieces inspired by famous artistes like Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh, to costumes cultivated from timeless paintings such as Birth of Venus, each costume left the crowd in awe and grappling with the hard decision on what to invest in for April’s grand road march.

One thing became unquestionable: Yard Mas intends to bring the heat to the streets of Kingston come April.

Andrew Bellamy, managing director of Yard Mas Carnival, said as much in his address. Outlining that he and his team have been eyeing expansion for 2026, he promised that the Yard Mas experience next year will surpass any precedent previously set by the band.

“When we started in 2023 we knew that we would create a brand that’s very relevant and would be something that Carnival-chasers in Jamaica and around the world could identify with and love, but we didn’t anticipate that in this short space of time we would have this amount of relevance, suppor,t and popularity… [W]e started perhaps as underdogs, but now we are a force to reckon with…” he said, adding that, “[W]e’ll be improving on all our touch points; road, J’Ouvert, after-road jams, people are going to be wowed.”

Bellamy shared at the launch event that his team focused on some Huricane Melissa relief efforts as they visited some of the most affected areas.

“With all that has happened with Jamaica coming out of the hurricane, Kingston has now been pivoted to a focal point for recovery in a big way and someone was just asking the other day if Carnival was happening, because I guess the content that has been coming out of Jamaica is sending a particular picture, but we just want to let people know that we are still around and Carnival in Jamaica is still happening,” he said.

Delano Seiveright, state minister in the Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce, also shared similar sentiments in his address.

“Carnival has contributed significantly over the last several years to Jamaica’s economy, and we are truly grateful for it,” he said. “But it’s not just the big dollar spend, it’s the fact that it goes to the pan chicken man, the barbers, the hair stylists, the costume designers, the taxi man, restaurants, bars, everybody… Carnival in Jamaica will only continue to get bigger and better.”

Mayor of Kingston, Andrew Swaby, was optimistic for 2026 Carnival.

“As Kingston looks ahead to recovery and stability, our strength will come from keeping people employed, supporting entertainment events, and Carnival plays a real role in that. So as we approach Carnival season… [t]he KSAMC will continue to work with promoters and the various bands to support the smooth staging of the event and show that Kingston will be the city where Carnival grows,” Swaby said.

Following the official addresses, patrons got to experience some of the costumes up close as models paraded around the cinema.

The 2026 Yard Mas Sections include: Picasso designed by Designs by Dru (Jamaica); Venus & Dali designed by Anna-Lisa Guthrie (Jamaica); Ebony designed by Fonrose (Trinidad and Tobago);
Monet designed by David Dewer (Trinidad and Tobago); Starry Night designed by Emma Aqui (Trinidad and Tobago); Frida designed by Lauren Austin from Aura (Barbados); and Basquiat designed by Yard Mas (a modern, editorial-style ode to Trinidad’s Monday Wear aesthetic).

Starry Night (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Dali designed by Jamaica’s Anna-Lisa Gutherie (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Inspired by Pablo Picasso is this emerald green work of art. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Ebony (Photo: Naphtali Junior)

Inspired by Sandro Botticelli’s Birth of Venus is this dazzling masterpiece. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)