Yellowfin tuna arrived with coconut gazpacho, fresh mango and passion fruit. Braised short ribs are followed by tamarind demiglace, sweet potato puree, and mango papaya salad. Dessert brought mango pavlova, hazelnut crumble and sorrel sorbet to the waterfront at the Four Seasons Resort Nevis.
It was one dinner in a four-day celebration built around the fruit most closely associated with Nevis.
that 2026 Nevis Mango Festival It welcomed more than 5,000 attendees from July 2 to 5, bringing together chef-led dinners, cooking classes, beach bar events, restaurant tours, competitions, music and family activities from across the island.
The festival’s signature closing event, With a love for mangoesroughly attracted 5,200 sponsorsThis is an increase from 4,100 last year. According to the Nevis Tourism Board, this increase represented an increase of almost 27% and marked the highest attendance since the festival began.
The four-day program was headlined by a Ghanaian-American chef, author and broadcaster. Eric Ajeppong‘s menu combines influences from Nevisia mangoes, Caribbean ingredients and West African cuisine.
Next year’s schedule has already been confirmed. that The 2027 Nevis Mango Festival will run from July 1 to 4..
A festival centered around Nevisian mangoes
There is so much more to Nevis. 44 types of mangoIt grows in gardens, along roads and on private property throughout the island.
Although the fruit is plentiful during the summer months, the island’s mangoes are not commercially exported. To get the best taste, you have to travel to Nevis. It’s a distinction that has helped the festival develop into one of the destination’s most important annual culinary events.
An opening event was also presented. Shop Nevis naturallyThis is the island’s first official online store, created as a new platform for Nevisian products.
“The Mango Festival has grown into one of the most anticipated events on our cultural calendar and this year’s event once again showed the world what makes Nevis so special,” said Brantley. “This is a celebration of who we are as a people, and every visitor who joins us leaves with a part of that story.”
The festival is about more than showcasing a single ingredient. Now offering a route into Nevisia’s agriculture, restaurants, music, beaches and community life, events are spread across the island rather than confined to one location.
Mango Dinner at Four Seasons Resort Nevis
Adjepong’s first major appearance came during the festival. Supper Club at Four Seasons Resort NevisAn intimate waterfront dinner centered around mango in every course.
The evening began with cocktails with mango and Adjepong welcomed guests and introduced them to a three-course menu created for the festival.
Yellowfin tuna crudo paired with coconut gazpacho, fresh mango, passion fruit, peri peri oil, serrano pepper, radish and corn nuts.
Braised short ribs are followed by tamarind demi-glace, sweet potato puree, crispy plantain, and mango papaya salad.
The final course was mango cream with mango pavlova, hazelnut crumble and sorrel sorbet.
Each restaurant features a custom menu signed by Adjepong. The evening continued with live Caribbean music and soca by the water.
Beyond juices, desserts and cocktails, the dinner featured a variety of the island’s fruits. Mango appeared next to sashimi, slow-cooked beef, tamarind, plantain, coconut and sorrel, providing a central ingredient for the feast throughout the entire meal.
Cooking with Eric Adjepong
The program continued at . CHASKA Indian Cuisine & Bar in Cades BayThis is where visitors cooked with Adjepong during a mango-focused masterclass.
Participants worked at individual stations where plant-based and meat options were provided. These classes transformed the festival from a tasting event into a hands-on culinary experience, giving attendees the opportunity to prepare their own dishes under the direction of an executive chef.
Adjepong is best known for bringing West African cuisine into the broader American culinary conversation. He was a finalist on Season 16 of “Top Chef,” returned to “Top Chef All-Stars,” and appeared on “Wild Card Kitchen,” “Alex vs. Appeared on Food Network programs such as ‘America’.
His Washington, D.C. restaurant Elmina has received a Michelin recommendation.
During the Nevis Festival, Adjepong combined his culinary background with local ingredients and the island’s mango culture. His appearances have ranged from formal dinners at the Four Seasons to participatory masterclasses at CHASKA.
Mango Mania in Cades Bay
Cooking class continued. mango maniaThe afternoon features contests, games and food events for adults and children.
The program included a mango eating contest, a cocktail contest featuring local bartenders, and the returning Mango Tug of War contest.
The mixology contest gave bartenders another way to interpret the island’s fruits. That meant using mango in a cocktail made in front of a festival audience. Eating contests and tug-of-war added a more fun aspect to the event, enhancing the festival’s appeal beyond avid food travelers.
With families, locals and visitors sharing the same festival grounds, we created a program of chef demonstrations and cooking events alongside games and competitions.
Bar crawling along Pinney’s Beach.
The festival was moved to Finesse Beach Later on Friday you can enjoy a bar crawl featuring mango drinks at eight beachfront locations.
Participants traveled along one of Nevis’ best-known sandy beaches. Mojo’s, Seal My Sip, Rock and Come In Beach Bar, The Cabanas at Lime Beach Bar, Weekendz Beach Bar, Sunshine’s Bar & Grill, Turtle Time Beach Bar, Chills Bar and Zanzi Bar..
The crawl turned the beach into a long festival route, with each bar creating mango-themed drinks and atmosphere.
Pinney’s Beach has long been the center of the island’s social life. The Strip is home to casual local bars, restaurants and resort venues, all facing the strait between Nevis and St. Kitts.
During the Mango Festival, the beach becomes one of the clearest expressions of the character of the event on the entire island. Visitors are not asked to remain within the convention hall or fenced festival grounds. They move from bar to bar, with the Caribbean Sea on one side and Nevis Peak rising behind.
Passport to get through the island’s restaurants
Saturday brought Passport Food TourThis encouraged festival attendees to explore bars and restaurants across Nevis.
Participants boarded a guided party bus or followed the route independently, sampling mango dishes and cocktails and collecting stamps.
The tour included the following stops: Pas Bar, Carbo’s Restaurant, Barefoot Beach Bar, On the Rocks, Heritage Cafe, Big 6 Flavors Restaurant, Mems Pizzeria and Rosie’s Patties..
Each stop offered a different interpretation of mango, from cocktails and savory dishes to pastries and casual snacks. The passport format encouraged visitors to spend time beyond the island’s main resort areas and encounter independent establishments across Nevis.
The event also demonstrated how deeply the festival has penetrated the local restaurant community. Mango wasn’t just introduced through celebrity chefs. Nevisian chefs, bartenders and business owners shaped the experience over several days.
The final celebration drew more than 5,000 people.
The festivities concluded Sunday at Malcolm Guishard Recreational Park. With a love for mangoesThe biggest event of the weekend.
The event included a cooking contest, children’s zone, face painting, children’s mango search, and a concert under the night sky.
approximately About 5,200 people attended the closing ceremony.Compared to 4,100 the previous year.
“This year’s festival was a true reflection of what Nevis has to offer: genuine hospitality, world-class culinary talent and a community coming together to celebrate our island’s identity,” Ravariere said.
She credited Adjepong and its festival partners with helping deliver the strongest growth in the event’s history.
The attendance figures give Nevis a substantial summer event at a time when many Caribbean destinations are struggling to build travel beyond the traditional winter season.
The Mango Festival offers an experience directly related to the month of July. The fruit is one of the reasons to visit in the summer, and the festival cannot be moved to another part of the calendar without losing its connection with the island’s harvest.
Festival returns in 2027
Next Nevis Mango Festival opens July 1-4, 2027.
This event allows visitors to experience the island’s mango through cuisine, restaurants, music, art and local culture.
Nevis’ small size speaks volumes to the character of the festival. Dinner at the Four Seasons can be followed by a cooking class at Cades Bay, a bar crawl at Pinney’s Beach, a passport tour across the island, or a large community concert at Malcolm Guishard Recreational Park.
Each event showcases another part of Nevis, but mangoes remain a running thread throughout the weekend.
There are more than 44 varieties growing across the island, and no variety is waiting for you on foreign supermarket shelves. They ripen in Nevis, they are cooked in Nevis, and they bring together thousands of people for four days every summer to get a taste of the island where they grow.
