Fete With The Saints 2023 Review

After a 2 year hiatus, one of the most anticipated events for Trinidad Carnival 2023 was finally here!  Fete With The Saints tickets have historically been one of the most sort-after tickets for Trinidad Carnival and certainly remained that way for this carnival, the return of the greatest show on earth.  For such as auspicious occasion, FILO is a must.  We must be the first in to the fete and the last out out of the fete. :-)

We arrived at FWTS promptly at 6:30, appreciative of the always-smooth entry process. Getting into an event with no issues or hassles always sets the tone for a great experience. FWTS presented ‘The Journey Within’ as this year’s theme and what a presentation it was! Reminiscent of any world class theme park and festival stage including any Disney theme park, or music festival.  You would be hard pressed to find a more professionally designed and executed event layout, anywhere in the world, period.  Arriving early afforded us a number of advantages.  We were able to see the venue in natural light and witness the transition into a masterpiece of a light show.  I could spend this entire article listing the assortment of culinary offerings but I will spare you the minutia. :-) Suffice it to say, arriving early allowed us to sample several options and identify the ones we definitely had to try after we recovered from round one, like the wild meat!  It is also not lost on us that the bar is much more accessible, early in the event. :-) Of note however, the wait at the bar never got bad throughout the event, a true benchmark for any good all inclusive. 

Nuphoric got the vibes stared and Hans and Gonzo followed.  Sekon Sta was the first to grace the stage and get the live performances started, albeit with a low key performance of his hits. In what was the second biggest surprise of the night, Voice the Sah Wah youth, and his band took the stage early at 8:00PM. Some of the acts performing with his Top 5 band were Vaughn Mr. Trouble In the Morning and Viking Ding Dong performing his hits like Leave It Alone and DAP,  Ding Dong is always a crowd favorite and FWTS was no exception, he had the crowd singing along to DAP, and was the moment the energy of the fete went up several notches.  Other memorable moments of the set included a tribute to Blaxx and Black Stalin, two greats of the art form, that recently passed on.  Lyrikal came on and performed his party favorite, Look Back and many of his classics.  Allison Hinds also performed and Voice himself wrapped up the set with all the smash hits the Sah Wah Yute caries in his extensive repertoire.

The night was just getting started.  Performances that followed included the likes of Shal Marshal and Iwer George. The biggest names in the industry came on, one after the other.  Bunji and Fayann with all of their hits and what we now know to be the road March of 2023 Hard Fete! However, it was the classic Famalay, that stole the hearts and minds of the now massive crowd on the night at just around 11PM.  

In what was easily the biggest surprise for the night, the BOSS himself Machel Montano came and whipped the crowd into an even higher crescendo!  No one thought they would hear the horns of Like a Boss blaring and see the king run out, It had been highly rumored, and indeed publicized, that the only place Machel would have been performing for the entire season would be at his own concert.  What a moment for all lucky enough to be in attendance.  As if this performance was not a viral moment in Trinidad Carnival 2023, hold my beer.  The FWTS crowd was also fortunate to witness The Queen of Bacchanal herself, Destra Garcia, trying to test the strength of Michel's back, by jumping on him, in the middle of performing their duo, Shake The Place!  Talk about life imitating art. :-)

In the grand finally at just about 12 midnight, Kes the Band took the reigns, and continued to keep FWTS at maximum energy with hit after hit like Hello, Savannah Grass, Jub Jub and  Mental Day.  Fete With The Saints remains the benchmark standard for All Inclusive Carnival fetes in the Greatest Greatest Show on Earth, Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival.  The custodial team were also on their game from the get-go, so the venue remained pristine from start to finish. FWTS featured a top notch DJ cast, A-List  live entertainment, unmatched cuisine and libations. As a Gin drinker, having Botanist in the regular bar, let alone the selection in the VIP bar absolutely stood out as a finer touch.  For anyone who didn’t make it to Machel’s concert, it would have also been the only opportunity to see him in stage for the entire season.  Talk about value for money.  I’m already lined up outside the venue for next year. :-)

Thank you for having us FWTS!  See you next year!

Wade Allard AKA The Original Party Appraiser (GOMAUB)

>> Fete With The Saints 2023 "Journey Within" - Part 1
>> Fete With The Saints 2023 "Journey Within" - Part 2
>> Fete With The Saints 2023 "Journey Within" - Part 3
>> Trinidad Carnival 2023 Coverage