The Cross River State Carnival Commission has explained the reasons behind the decision to continue unveiling Carnival Calabar outside Cross River State, following reactions from residents and Nigerians questioning why the 2026 edition will be launched in Lagos.
The 2026 Carnival Calabar unveiling is scheduled to hold on May 31, 2026, at Eko Hotels & Suites.
Reacting to public concerns, the Executive Secretary of the Cross River State Carnival Commission, Evangelist Austin Cobham, stated that the unveiling ceremony is primarily designed as a strategic marketing event aimed at attracting sponsors and strengthening partnerships for the carnival brand.
According to him, hosting the unveiling in Lagos provides direct access to top corporate executives and decision-makers whose support is crucial to the success and sustainability of Carnival Calabar.
“Carnival unveiling for us is completely a marketing event where we engage sponsors and prospective sponsors. If we host such an event in Calabar and invite 40 or 50 CEOs, only about three or four may attend personally, while others send representatives like branch managers or sales executives. That does not give us the kind of impact we desire,” he explained.
Cobham noted that previous attempts to hold unveiling events within Cross River State, including during past administrations, did not yield the expected level of sponsorship and corporate participation.
He further explained that taking the unveiling to Lagos allows company executives to attend conveniently without disrupting their schedules for several days.
“When you organize the event in Lagos, CEOs can easily spare one hour to attend, listen to presentations, make commitments, and leave. But hosting it in Calabar requires them to dedicate at least two days out of their schedules,” he added.
The Carnival Commission boss also emphasized that Calabar remains a destination city rather than a transit route, meaning visitors usually travel there intentionally for specific purposes.
Despite the unveiling taking place outside the state, he reassured the public that the main Carnival Calabar celebrations will continue to hold in Cross River State as one of Africa’s biggest street festivals and tourism events.
