City Nights : The story

  • 1986

    • City Nights       was first held in 1986 in celebration of the opening of the Frank Collymore Hall and the new headquarters of the Central Bank of Barbados situated next door.After a gala opening on September 20th 1986 it ran to enthusiastic audiences for a week. It featured separate nights for dance, gospel, calypso, folk, classics and jazz.

      The Hall was the brainchild of Sir Courtney Blackman first Governor of the Central Bank of Barbados.
      "We feel it important to share our facilities with the public and use this for the cultural and general upliftment of all Barbadians .... The Bank invites the lovers of drama, dance, calypso, jazz, gospel music and the classics to share the pleasures of these arts ...." Sir Courtney Blackman.

  • 1987, 1988

    • City Nights in this format was repeated in 1987 and 1988.

  • 1997

    • After 1988 there was a hiatus for a few years as the Hall settled into a routine of performance bookings and Hall sponsored lunchtime concerts. However City Nightsreturned periodically.

  • 2002


  • 2004

    • The format varied. City Nights 2004 Caribbean Screenings was devoted to Caribbean film. In 2007 City Nights gave way to the  dramatic production "The Polished Hoe" an adaption of the Austin "Tom" Clark novel, presented by the Frank Collymore Hall with sponsorship by the Central Bank of Barbados.

  • 2008

    • City Nights 2008 was dedicated to music and opened with a tribute night to the late Adrian Clarke, local jazz musician. Mr. Clarke had also been a former Bank Secretary of the Central Bank of Barbados. The tribute night featured renowned Caribbean Jazz saxophonist Luther Francois. The other nights featured popular and classical music nights.

  • 2010

    • City Nights 2010 returned to drama featuring "The It So Happen Suite" celebrating the work of the late Barbadian writer Timothy Callender.

  • 2011

    • City Nights 2011 returned again to music with a big band night featuring The 1688 Big Band. There were also popular and classical nights on the Saturday and Sunday nights with a variety of artists and musicians

  • 2013

    • In 2013 City Nights - The Concert featured Arturo Tappin with Marissa and CiCi.


  • 2014

    • In 2014 City Nights "On the Green" celebrated the new Church Village Green. Village Rhythms and Village Melodies respectively featured the steelpan music of Mosiac, the Youth Pan Ensemble, the Israel Lovell Foundation, Haynesville Drummers, Drums of Thunder and the 1688 Nonet.

  • 2015

    • 2015 City Nights - Influences celebrated the work of popular, local and international musician, and producer, Nicholas Brancker with guest artists, Edwin Yearwood, Biggie Irie, Alison Norville -Forde and Philip Forrester.



      City Nights - the Frank Collymore Hall's premier event and its gift to the people of Barbados.

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