Bermuda Day
What is Bermuda Day?
Bermuda Day, widely considered the first day of summer, is now celebrated on the fourth Friday in May. Locals line the streets to enjoy a vibrant celebration beginning with a half-marathon derby followed by a colourful parade winding through Hamilton full of music, culture, and patriotic pride. The first Bermuda Day Parade was held in 1979 and remains a steadfast celebration featuring dance groups, bands, majorettes, decorated floats, and Gombey troupes. Traditional floats harken back to the Easter Parade using natural materials, while new categories have been introduced to highlight modern art and the creative ingenuity of Bermudian float-builders. The competition between floats is fierce, as they compete for prizes in a variety of categories. Hundreds of people dance in the streets as the enticing Gombey rhythm carries them forward, united as Bermuda.
For details on entering the Bermuda Day Parade, click here.
Bermuda Day is the culminating event of Heritage Month. For more information on the history of Bermuda Day and Heritage Month click here.
For a full schedule of Heritage Month events, click here.
Bermuda Day 2026 Theme: For the Culture
Friday, May 22, 2026
Heritage Month is a time to celebrate everything that makes us who we are, and this year’s theme, For the Culture, honours the spirit that connects us as Bermudians. Our culture is bold, creative, and deeply rooted in community. It lives in the rhythm of the drums, the art that tells our stories, the parades that fill our streets, and the people who bring it all to life.
For the Culture is a reminder that everything we do, from the way we celebrate to the way we show up for one another, is part of something bigger. It is a salute to our traditions, a celebration of our talent, and a call to keep creating, performing, and representing Bermuda with pride. At its heart, our culture also carries a quiet strength and a pursuit of peace, reminding us that unity and understanding are part of our heritage too. This Heritage Month, we celebrate for our ancestors, for our people, and for the future. This one is for the culture.
Bermuda Day Parade 2026 Entry:
Please read the below documents carefully as categories have been added and updated. All applications are closed at this time. If you have any questions about the below documents, please feel free to contact the Department of Culture for more information.
Bermuda Day Fund:
Sponsors interested in helping to offset costs for parade participants will be able to donate to the Bermuda Day Fund. The Bermuda Community Foundation will serve as the fund manager; and parade participants will receive, depending on their budgets, a maximum of $2,500 toward their participation expenses including costumes, truck rentals, and float building materials. Although this support will in no way cover the entire amount of financing required for many groups to participate, it will help to defray costs and give a much-needed boost to these charities and community groups that put in so much work and effort to make the Bermuda Day holiday special for us all. For those interested in donating, view the full details here.
For parade participants looking to apply for funds, please ensure that a regular parade application form has been filled in. Funding support applications are due on April 17, 2026 and can be completed here.
Grand Marshals
Click here to read their biographies.