WILLEMSTAD – The third edition of the Caricon Poetry Slam will take place this Saturday at Teatro Aula Habaai, bringing together spoken word artists from across the Caribbean for a weekend of performance and cultural exchange.
Organized in collaboration with Wintertuin Curaçao, the event will feature poets from nine Caribbean islands, highlighting the diversity and richness of regional storytelling through performance-based poetry delivered entirely from memory.
Curaçao will be represented by local artists Noemi Elisa, Tina Krolis, and Aline Abdul. They will compete against participants from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, the British Virgin Islands, Saint Martin, Puerto Rico, and other islands.
The competition will be judged by Daphne Obispo, Marlon Reina, and Juan-Carlos Goilo, with Timothy Martina serving as master of ceremonies.
Ahead of the main event, participating artists will visit local schools, introducing students to spoken word poetry and encouraging the next generation of Caribbean storytellers.
The main competition will take place on Saturday, March 21, culminating in the crowning of the 2026 Caricon Poetry Slam champion in front of a live audience.
Among the local contenders, Noemi Elisa returns to Curaçao after several years in the Netherlands, bringing her passion for writing back to the stage. Tina Krolis, a poet and educator, is known for her emotionally driven work and is also celebrating the upcoming release of her debut young adult novel. Aline Abdul, a multilingual writer and cultural organizer, explores themes of identity and belonging and previously won the UNESCO Curaçao Mother Language Award for her chapbook.
Tickets for the event are available through Caribbean Ticketshop for 20 guilders, with limited availability. Remaining tickets will be sold at the door for 25 guilders.