Quick answer: Dominica’s own bouyon acts play all three nights of the World Creole Music Festival, October 23 to 25, 2026, at Windsor Park in Roseau. Catch Mr. Ridge and Dirty Dawg Pudaz on Friday, Asa Bantan, Reo and Trilla G on Saturday, and Signal Band and Gwada G on Sunday.
Capleton, Ne-Yo and Machel Montano top the posters, but ask anyone in Roseau and they will tell you the stadium really moves when the local acts take over. Bouyon is Dominica’s own sound, fast and built for jumping, and festival weekend is the biggest stage it gets all year. If you are new to the genre, start with our beginner’s guide to bouyon.
Friday, October 23: the hard-hitting night
Friday belongs to the heavier side of bouyon, on a bill headlined by Capleton and Skillibeng.
- Mr. Ridge: Coleridge “Mr. Ridge” Bell calls his harder-edged style Nasty Business. Know “Nasty Business” and “Who Paro” before you go.
- Dirty Dawg Pudaz: behind two of bouyon’s most played videos. “B.D.Y.M.M.” with Mr. Ridge has passed 4 million YouTube plays, and “Shake Something” with Paris has passed a million. If both men are on stage at once, expect “B.D.Y.M.M.” to bring the house down.
Saturday, October 24: the big Dominican night
Saturday stacks three of the island’s biggest names on the same bill as Ne-Yo, Alkaline and Tabou Combo.
- Asa Bantan: the self-styled Bouyon Boss. Back in 2012 “One Man” was the most played song in Dominica, and “Wet Fete” helped tie bouyon to soca across the region.
- Reo: his “Dou Dou” passed a million YouTube views in about six months and reached No. 1 on TRACE TV’s Hit Lokal chart for Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana. “Sa Ka Bay” with DJ Bling has passed 2 million.
- Trilla G: “Someone Else” won soca collaboration of the year at the 2025 Caribbean Music Awards, and “RAGS”, with Shelly and Skinny Fabulous, won the first ever Bouyon Road March at Mas Domnik 2025.
Sunday, October 25: the closing party
The last night runs with Machel Montano, Maxi Priest and Uncle Waffles, and two bouyon acts made for a sing-along.
- Signal Band: formed in 2010 and fronted by Shelly. They finished second and third in the 2025 Bouyon Road March with “Bye Bye Bye” and “My Band”, while Shelly shared the winning song, “RAGS”.
- Gwada G: “Up To”, with Nice, Savage and Freddy, has passed 700,000 YouTube plays.
A five-song warm-up playlist
- “B.D.Y.M.M.” by Mr. Ridge and Dirty Dawg Pudaz
- “One Man” by Asa Bantan
- “Dou Dou” by Reo
- “RAGS” by Trilla G, Shelly and Skinny Fabulous
- “Bye Bye Bye” by Signal Band
You can watch the official videos on each artist’s profile or on our Watch Domnik page.
Before you go
Single nights are listed at EC$300 for Friday, EC$400 for Saturday and EC$300 for Sunday, with a season pass at EC$700. Lineups can change, so check Dominica Festivals for the final schedule. Our festival guide has the full night-by-night lineup, ticket details and places to stay near Windsor Park.
