Mon | Sep 29, 2025

Tourist Board to launch first Pirates Week in October

Published:Monday | September 29, 2025 | 12:08 AMLester Hinds/Gleaner Writer
Professor Gordon Shirley (forefront), chairman and CEO of the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ), looks at one of the cannons with (from left) Dr Jonathan Greenland, director of National Museum Jamaica; William Tatham, vice-president of cruise shipping and ma
Rudolph Brown/Photographer
Professor Gordon Shirley (forefront), chairman and CEO of the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ), looks at one of the cannons with (from left) Dr Jonathan Greenland, director of National Museum Jamaica; William Tatham, vice-president of cruise shipping and marina operations of the PAJ; Phillip Paulwell, member of parliament for East Kingston and Port Royal; and Mikael Phillips, oppostion spokesperson on transport, during a 2022 tour at the Port Royal Cruise Pier.

To take advantage of Port Royal being designated a UNESCO Heritage Site, the Jamaica Tourist Board has announced that it will be staging the first Kingston Pirates Week from October 29 to November 2.

Port Royal, once the home to buccaneers and pirates, including Sir Henry Morgan who would later become governor of Jamaica, was described as the wickedest city.

Pirates such as Calico Jack and Blackbeard Teach made Port Royal their home.

Port Royal was later destroyed by a massive earthquake that caused landslides, liquefaction, and a tsunami that resulted in large parts of the land mass - estimated at two thirds - of Port Royal sinking into the Caribbean Sea.

“This new event builds on Jamaica’s reputation as the cultural capital of the Caribbean, bringing together music, cuisine, and the rich storytelling heritage of Kingston and Port Royal,” said Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett. “Kingston Pirates Week will not only entertain but also provide economic opportunities for our local communities while showcasing Jamaica’s unique history to the world.”

During the four-day event, visitors and locals will experience some swashbuckling fun.

The festival will feature daily entertainment and themed events across Kingston and Port Royal, including:

· October 30 – Riddims & Rum: A Pirate Merritone Fête – A themed celebration of Jamaican sound system culture, with music by the legendary Merritone Sound System, one of the oldest and most respected in the island’s history. The best pirate costume will win a prize.

· November 1 – Pirates Beach Clean-Up – Guests will travel by pontoon to various beaches around Port Royal for clean-ups. Prizes will be awarded to groups or individuals for best efforts. A scavenger hunt will also give participants the chance to “embody their inner pirate” and search for treasure at “X marks the spot”.

· November 2 – Port Royal Pirates & Seafood Festival – This final event will feature entertainment combined with humour and fun, including a pirate costume contest, live music, and even a “pirate invasion”. There will also be plenty of seafood, for which Port Royal is known.

“The launch of Kingston Pirates Week is an exciting step forward in our continued efforts to diversify Jamaica’s tourism offerings,” said Director of Tourism Donovan White. “By blending immersive cultural experiences with community engagement, we are creating a festival that will appeal to both international visitors and locals alike, strengthening Kingston’s position as a must-visit destination.”

Outside of festival events, visitors can explore attractions linked to Port Royal’s pirate history. These include the new Port Royal Museum, where artefacts recovered from the sunken city are on display; round-trip cruises to Lime Cay Island in search of treasure; and rum tastings at select bars and restaurants, inspired by the favourite drink of Jamaica’s notorious pirates.

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