When We Look in the Mirror of Festival di Tumba

When We Look in the Mirror of Festival di Tumba

2 February 2026

What do we see?

The beginning of a new era. The youth has definitively taken over. Feco is the last man standing. It cannot be otherwise—no one is immortal in this body.

In itself, it is positive that the new generation is taking over and will shape it as they wish. That increases the chances of continuity. This festival is unique worldwide precisely because it has existed for so long—since, I believe, 1971.

That does not change the fact that other trends can also be observed. It is not the first time I have written about this. Festival di Tumba is no longer for everyone, and it no longer unites everyone, just as it was once intended to do: to bring the people together again after the major social unrest of 1969. And back then, it succeeded.

In 2026, carnival has increasingly become an economic product—a tourist product. Accessible to young people who can afford it. The content is fleeting, and it contributes little to our collective memory.

It has shifted from a people’s celebration—where everyone dressed up—into a private party where people undress and pay a lot of money. Others, meanwhile, must pay again just to watch, behind crowd barriers or behind a screen, as spectators.

I have pointed out before that Curaçao suffers from institutional memory loss because too few stories are passed on. These are not only characteristics of our carnival, but of our society.

To be continued.

Miguel Goede