Year on year the cost of playing mas increases but does the experience of playing mas also increase accordingly?

In some countries you could expect to pay as much as £600+ for a frontline costume and £300+ for backline costumes. This is a lot of money for 1-2 days on the road especially when many others pay nothing and have a similar(ish) experience.

Now before you head down to the comment area to start to say how much it cost to produce these costumes read the rest of this article first.

Some of the mas bands are producing some truly amazing looking mas. Some of the materials they use cost more than what traditional materials used to cost. Some of the complex constructions from the designs takes more man power and hours than what traditional mas used to, so obviously the cost must increase. I appreciate all of this…

…But…£600+?

Is this not (dare I say it), too much?

Lets look at what you can possibly get for your £600 for 1-2 days of enjoyment* on the road (*enjoyment is not guaranteed)

• 1 great looking and well made costume – you will most probably wear it only once
• 1 t-shirt to wear on the 1st day of carnival – you will most probably wear it only once
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner – it won’t be £100 worth of food just for you
  
• Premium drinks bar – most masqueraders won’t personally drink £100 worth of drink
• Quality music -> sound and DJs
• Goody bag with various sponsored items – most of which you will never use
• Band branded cup or bottle – drink taste the same in any cup
• Being a member of a popular / exclusive / brand mas band – fun not guaranteed

I understand that the carnival business is not an easy business and as a business a Mas Band needs to make as much profit as possible but at the current rate which the cost of playing mas is increasing I believe there will come a time when people will simply not be able to afford to play mas.

Did you know that some people take out loans to pay for carnival?

It is possible to go to carnival and pay absolutely nothing for the pleasure. So the experience side of things is not relevant to how much money you spend. The more you spend does not guarantee you a better time.

So it begs the question. What more can a mas band offer you to increase your enjoyment of carnival to match the increase in the cost of playing mas?

The reality is a masquerader is buying an experience. They are paying to be a part of something which they deem special on the road. Could they experience the same thing for less money? Do the bullet points above really add a lot of value to the carnival experience?

How do we find the balance?

That is a tough question especially as people want different things from carnival. Mas bands need to turn a profit in order to put on a show and provide a great service for us on the road. People need to pay for this show and service. We demand more from mas bands yet we are reluctant to pay the higher price for it.

On the other hand it can be said that the mas bands charge more each year yet the level of service does not increase and the creativity in the design of the costumes is pretty much the same as the previous years but the show must go on.

Possible Solutions:

• Mas bands work harder at getting sponsorship to cover the heavy cost of production.
• Mas bands scale back their costume design, using more economical materials and take less time to produce.
• Masqueraders could demand less. Instead of a premium bar just have a cheap and cheerful one.

I am sure if we were to all put our heads together we could come up with a lot more solutions…

What do you think is a fair price for playing mas with a band and what would you want to receive for that money?

We look forward to your answers, suggestions and points of view.