Beverley Ramsey Moore marked the second anniversary of the steelpan’s designation as Trinidad and Tobago’s National Musical Instrument at Southbank Centre. Pan Trinbago is using the July 19, 2024 proclamation to open August Fest 2026 Steelpan Month, with a run of events that starts in August and stretches across Port of Spain and regional steel orchestras.
Ramsey Moore on the steelpan
“Today, we celebrate the recognition of our identity, our creativity, and our resilience as a people. The proclamation of the Steelpan as the National Musical Instrument affirms what we have always known, that the Steelpan is the heartbeat of Trinidad and Tobago and one of our greatest gifts to the world.” — Beverley Ramsey Moore. Pan Trinbago’s president tied the anniversary to a public argument for the instrument’s place in national life, not just its ceremonial status.
August Fest 2026 Steelpan Month
The month-long programme will feature performances, educational activities, community outreach initiatives and cultural events. Pan Trinbago says the schedule is built to show the steelpan’s role in national development, youth empowerment, education, tourism and cultural diplomacy, which makes this more than a single anniversary event and more like a month of coordinated outreach.
August 2 brings the August Fest launch. August 11 is set for World Steelpan Day celebrations. August 19 brings the Pan & Powder Parade through Port of Spain, with regional events hosted by member steel orchestras also folded into the month.
Coat of Arms later this year
Pan Trinbago says the legislation permanently enshrined the steelpan as one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most treasured cultural symbols and honours generations of pioneers who turned discarded oil drums into the instrument. That leaves the next institutional step hanging over the celebration: the planned inclusion of the steelpan on the Republic’s Coat of Arms later this year.
For readers following the programme, the practical takeaway is simple: the anniversary is not a stand-alone commemoration. It is the opening note for a month of public-facing events, and Pan Trinbago is asking citizens to treat the steelpan as a lasting symbol of Trinidad and Tobago’s creativity, innovation and resilience.
