PHILIPSBURG:--- The Soul Beach Music Festival, a significant event for Sint Maarten's tourism sector, will not be held this year, according to statements from the Minister of Tourism, Economic Affairs, Transport and Telecommunication (TEATT), Grisha Heyliger-Marten. The decision stems from a breakdown in a planned collaboration.
The Minister explained that the intention was to host the festival this year through a partnership with the French side of the island. This collaboration was contingent on the French side making a deposit last year to secure the 2026 event.
"We were trying to host Soul Beach this year, but with the collaboration of the French side, who was supposed to then make the deposit last year to secure this year, and that unfortunately didn't happen," Minister Heyliger-Marten stated during the Council of Ministers Press Briefing. "Unfortunate, but it wasn't possible, and that's one of the reasons Soul Beach isn't here."
Despite this year's cancellation, the Minister remains a firm believer in the festival's value to the country. She highlighted its positive impact and confirmed that a detailed report on the event's contributions is forthcoming.
"I still believe in Soul Beach," she affirmed. "You'll get a full breakdown of what Soul Beach brought to this country last year, and then you'll understand the importance of why Soul Beach is still something we will not let go."
The Minister also noted that she is awaiting a final report from the General Audit Chamber regarding the festival, which she expects to receive shortly. Once the report is in hand, she plans to present the findings to Parliament and the public.