High production costs among other factors have forced JCI Antigua to cancel this year’s hosting of the annual and highly anticipated Jaycees Queen Show.
News of this came from Festivals and Creative Industries Minister Daryll Matthew during an interview on state media and has been confirmed by President of JCI Antigua and former Jaycees Queen, Ayanna Dorsett.
Matthew referred to the news which he received via correspondence last week as unfortunate.
“It has been a staple on the Carnival calendar for decades. I know last year a similar decision was taken [but] we managed to have some conversations with them to reverse that decision.
“But again, we have been confronted with the reality that the JCI group has indicated that they will not be having the Jaycees Queen Show this year,” he said.
Following the announcement last year that its tradition of hosting the annual pageant would not be possible due to unfortunate circumstances, JCI Antigua managed to pull off a successful show through the intervention of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and Antigua Cruise Port, who stepped in as major sponsors.
Minister Matthew is hoping that the over 61-year-old pageant will be able to be hosted again this year.
“I’m told that it’s not only an Antigua phenomenon, but queen pageants generally throughout the region have been cancelled. They’re tremendously expensive to put on – the travel expenses.
“And so, I suppose Jaycees Queen Show has received the same fate as many of the other shows around the region, but we will see what transpires,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, Dorsett told Observer media that the decision to cancel the pageant was not easy.
“I can speak from experience [because] I would have chaired Jaycees Queen Show twice — I was the vice president last year with direct supervision for Jaycees Queen Show and now this year I’m serving as president. So, I know the decision did not come lightly for us to say no to Jaycees Queen Show in 2025. It is a hard one for us as well as an organization.
“However, we had to really zone in on sustainability. Yes, we would have gotten sponsorship at the last call last year, and it came in really handy. All the countries were on board [and] we used the money to the best of our ability to stretch it as much as we can. However, all the funds to put on a wonderful production for Jaycees Queen Show would run us about $120,000,” Dorsett disclosed.
In expressing gratitude for the financial support received last year, which Dorsett said was utilized as effectively as possible, she noted a steering committee was formed and was actively working on seeking sponsorship for the pageant.
She said the body reached out to numerous potential sponsors with tailored proposals at various investment levels ($20,000, $10,000, and $5,000), however, while many expressed an interest in supporting events under the Jaycees Queen Show umbrella, there wasn’t alignment with the specific goals and values of the pageant segment.
Dorsett said despite their best efforts to find a suitable match, it didn’t materialize and therefore the decision was taken two months ago not to proceed with the event, and this was formally communicated to the government, as they are key stakeholders. The decision was also revealed to last year’s winner, Shan Lucien, who expressed some disappointment.
Asked about the possibility of staging a show if sponsors are secured, the JCI Antigua president noted that given the date, organizing a queen show “to our standards within the next two and a-half months presents significant challenges”, particularly concerning manpower and commitment to maintaining the event’s scale.
Looking forward, Dorsett said securing sponsorship will be essential for the event’s sustainability in future years; adding that JCI recognizes the critical role of both sponsorship and long-term viability.
Regarding last year’s winner, she said Lucien will retain her crown and she has been informed of that.
“She remains our Jaycees Queen, and we will continue our support. It is disappointing that this Carnival tradition will not occur this year due to sponsorship issues. However, we are optimistic that a sponsor will recognize the value of this pageant for young women in the future. As noted, other events are facing similar circumstances this year,” Dorsett concluded.
The Jaycees Queen Show was an annual pageant hosted by JCI Antigua, with a mission to Empower Women.
