Plan your dates
Antigua events & weather calendar
What's happening on the island, month by month — festivals, regattas and public holidays, alongside typical temperatures and rainfall so you can pick the right week to visit.
The big ones
Annual highlights
These events return every year. Exact dates shift a little, so confirm with the organisers before booking flights — and book your room early, because the island fills up.
Antigua Sailing Week
Late April – early May
One of the Caribbean's great regattas, based in English and Falmouth Harbours. Racing by day, live music and lay-day parties ashore — you don't need a boat to enjoy it.
Antigua Carnival
Late July – first week of August
The 'Caribbean's greatest summer festival': calypso and soca competitions, pageants, J'ouvert before dawn and the Parade of Bands through St. John's.
Shirley Heights Sunday
Every Sunday, year-round
Steel pan then reggae at the hilltop lookout above English Harbour, with barbecue and the island's best sunset. The most reliable night out on the calendar.
Antigua Charter Yacht Show
Early December
The season opener for the yachting world — the harbours fill with spectacular boats and the waterfront restaurants come alive.
Independence Season
November, around the 1st
Food fairs, church services, parades and cultural shows marking Antigua & Barbuda's independence, celebrated across the island.
Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta
Mid-April
Tall ships and vintage sailing yachts race off the south coast — arguably the most photogenic few days of the Antiguan year.
Month by month
Weather & what's on
Typical daytime highs and rainfall patterns for Antigua. Sea temperatures stay in the high 20s°C all year, and the trade winds blow almost every day.
January
High season
Cool nights, bright days and the calmest seas of the year.
- New Year's regattas and yacht traffic in English Harbour
February
High season
Driest stretch of the year — classic beach weather.
- Jolly Harbour Valentine's Regatta
- Independence-era heritage events island-wide
March
High season
Sunny and breezy; peak sailing conditions build.
- Nelson's Pursuit and warm-up regattas
- Antigua & Barbuda Sports Fishing tournaments
April
High season
The island's busiest, liveliest month on the water.
- Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta (mid-April)
- Antigua Sailing Week (from the last Sunday in April)
May
Shoulder
Sailing Week wraps up, crowds thin, rates soften.
- Final days of Antigua Sailing Week
- Labour Day celebrations (first Monday)
June
Shoulder
Warm and quiet — great value, occasional short showers.
- Whit Monday public holiday
- Start of the Atlantic hurricane season (1 June)
July
Carnival build-up
Hot, humid and increasingly festive as Carnival nears.
- Antigua Carnival opens (calypso shows, pageants, fêtes)
- Caribbean Wellness / summer fêtes
August
Carnival
The island's biggest party — book rooms well ahead.
- J'ouvert (first Monday in August)
- Parade of Bands / Last Lap (first Tuesday)
September
Low season
Quietest month; peak of hurricane season — travel insurance advised.
- Very quiet island-wide; some restaurants close
October
Low season
Warm with the year's heaviest rainfall, usually in short bursts.
- Independence season preparations begin
November
Shoulder
Rain eases; national pride month with events all month long.
- Independence Day, 1 November
- Independence Food Fair and cultural shows
- Hurricane season ends 30 November
December
High season
Dry season returns; harbours fill with superyachts.
- Antigua Charter Yacht Show (early December)
- Christmas and Old Year's Night celebrations
About hurricane season
The Atlantic hurricane season officially runs from 1 June to 30 November, with the highest activity typically from mid-August to mid-October. Most visits in those months pass without any disruption — days are hot and sunny with short, heavy showers — but it's sensible to take travel insurance that covers weather disruption and to keep an eye on forecasts close to departure. JPA Complex is inland in Bellevue Estate, on solid concrete construction, with secure gated parking.
Dates and event details on this page are a general guide compiled from long-running annual events. Always confirm exact dates with the organiser before booking flights.
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