The Calas Vegas Band, led by former Minister for Culture and Tourism and former Cross River Commissioner for Tourism, Chief Edem Duke, has emerged as the overall winner of the 2023 Carnival Calabar competitive events.
Despite being one of the newest bands, Calas Vegas delivered an energetic and captivating performance, thrilling the crowd with their stunning costumes and theatrical elements. Their presentation showcased the vibrant beauty of Cross River, highlighting its lush greenery, enticing tourist destinations, and much more.
Passion 4 band, led by Chief Chris Akigbe and boasting the most wins in the carnival’s history, secured second place. Seagull band, led by Senator Florence Ita-Giwa, followed in third.
Other participating bands included Bayside, Diamond, Freedom, and Master Blaster.
In the Children’s Carnival Category, Passion 4 repeated their success by grabbing the top spot. Seagull Band came second, with Calas Vegas rounding out the podium.
For the Local Government Area category, Odukpani emerged victorious, while Akpabuyo and Calabar South placed second and third, respectively.
The Cultural Festival saw Akwa Ibom take first place, followed by Ebonyi in second. In the state category, Edo and Ondo shared the third-place position.
The carnival’s street party segment, starting at Millennium Park, showcased a vibrant 12-kilometre performance culminating at the UJ Esuene Stadium. Final performances continued until dawn when the winners were announced.
Each band aligned their performance with the carnival’s theme, “Season of Sweetness,” and were evaluated by dedicated teams of judges.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the carnival attracted top dignitaries nationwide.
NAN
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