Long Live J’ouvert

The vibrant and immersive “Long Live J’ouvert” Exhibition – Miami Edition will officially launch on Friday, August 1, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM at HistoryMiami Museum, inviting guests into the heart and history of one of the Caribbean’s most spirited cultural expressions. The exhibition will be on view from July 31 through October 19, 2025. The event is FREE and open to the public.

Presented in partnership with JouvayFest Collective, HistoryMiami Museum, City Lore, and TheSmartGroup Corp. This dynamic showcase is a part of the broader J’ouvert Genesis Immersive Experience – a multidisciplinary exploration of the resistance, resilience and ritual that defines J’ouvert.

“J’ouvert,” is a French word (“opening of the day”) it marks the pre-dawn emancipation celebrations of formerly enslaved Africans in Trinidad and Tobago. Originating in the 1800s amidst struggle and defiance against colonial authorities. J’ouvert has evolved into a visceral, celebratory ritual within the Caribbean Carnival community – one that pulsates with ancestral memory, rebellion, and resilience.

The Miami edition of Long Live J’ouvert offers an intimate journey through time, illuminating the roots of Carnival and the fierce cultural pride embedded within it.  Through traditional satirical characters, stick fighting, rhythms section, steelpan rhythms, and vibrant street processions the exhibition contrasts the raw authenticity of J’ouvert with the polished flair of daytime masqueraders. “Without J’ouvert there is no Carnival.”