The energy was electric at the National Botanical Gardens last evening as thousands turned out to support the finalists in the Banks Party Monarch competition. The gardens were a kaleidoscope of color, packed with patrons carrying chairs and umbrellas, dressed in vibrant outfits, and ready to enjoy the show.
By the end of the night, Soca Titan Mikey Mercer made history, taking home the ultimate soca crown for 2026 by clutching a double victory. Amassing a perfect score of 200 points across both categories and earning $200,000 and 2 massive trophies, Mikey achieved his ultimate goal: winning and making his mother proud.
The competition kicked off with the Sweet Soca segment, where artists pulled out all the stops. The stage came alive with fireworks, confetti, and intricate video presentations designed to bring the energy of each track to life.
Khiomal, performing in a striking, fully metallic outfit, delivered a futuristic, time-travel-themed presentation. His dancers were seamlessly immersed in the background visuals, a concept Khiomal later revealed was inspired by cinematic heroes.
“The song is called ‘Back to When’ and I thought about going back in time and time travel… I tried to find a unique way to present it,” he shared. “I remember watching Marvel, and I know there’s a whole set of people into the Marvel Universe and superheroes. So, I thought that would be a unique way to present time travel for people to understand.”
His vision paid off, earning him a well-deserved 3rd place in the Sweet Soca competition with 61 points.
First-time Party Monarch competitor Ross also brought his A-game with his track ‘Come and Go’. Ross used his platform to send a positive message to the crowd.
“A lot of violence is happening in the country, and I just wanted people to have a way to get away from the violence in some sort of fun environment,” Ross explained. “The song is about my first time at a J’ouvert, the experience that I had and how there wasn’t no violence, no fighting. I just want us to get back to that place.”
Ross left everything on the stage, securing an impressive 4th place finish with 52 points.
For competitor Shanta Prince, the “Island Pop Princess,” culture was at the forefront. Fully dressed in blue, right down to her manicure, her song ‘Festival Calling’ drew direct inspiration from traditional Barbadian masquerade characters.
“We basically took all of the elements…the stilt men, shaggy bears, Mother Sallys, and wukking up and we wanted to have everything Barbadiana and cultural,” she expressed.
For Shanta, the night was also a personal milestone. “I loved it. I do not run from starting and bringing the energy and the vibes. For me, coming from the back to the front… My journey started as a background vocalist at Party Monarch, and I’ve decided to come out front. So, the stage feels like home.”
Nakita also graced the stage with intense Bajan patriotism, performing ‘Extraordinary’ in a custom shaggy bear costume. She secured 4th place in the Power Soca competition, with 55 points and took a moment to congratulate the night’s big winner.
“I’m super proud of my performance, super proud of my team, and I’ve genuinely had a blast,” Nakita said. “We’ve got so much more coming. And congrats to Mikey, the living legend he is.”
