Antigua: 3rd Annual Cannabis Festival Underway Through April 20

As of April 2026, Antigua and Barbuda’s third annual cannabis festival is underway, running April 17 through 20 across multiple locations on the island. The Cabinet formally endorsed the ABC Festival 2026 as a national initiative, positioning it alongside the country’s broader push to develop a regulated medicinal cannabis industry.

What’s Happening

The four-day programme, themed “Connect. Celebrate. Rejuvenate,” spans education, trade, culture, and wellness tourism. A Cannabis Educational Conference and Trade Show at the American University of Antigua anchors the schedule, alongside a Sacred Gathering in Liberta, St. Paul’s, and a closing Island Experience and Sunset Cruise focused on wellness and networking.

Cabinet framed the festival as part of Antigua and Barbuda’s sustainable development strategy and its vision for a “modern, transparent, and well-regulated medicinal cannabis industry,” per the official cabinet notes from February 25, 2026.

Antigua and Barbuda allows adults to grow up to four cannabis plants at home and recognizes Rastafarian sacramental use. The Medicinal Cannabis Authority oversees the country’s licensing framework for commercial operations.

What This Means

For travelers in Antigua this week, the festival is an accessible entry point into the country’s cannabis culture, from policy panels to cultural events. It also signals the government’s comfort in using cannabis as a tourism draw, a strategy few Caribbean nations have embraced this openly.

If you are planning a future trip, the festival’s April timing and its third consecutive year suggest it is becoming a fixture on Antigua’s events calendar. Check the Medicinal Cannabis Authority for any regulatory updates around festival season.

What to Watch

Antigua has positioned itself as a cannabis wellness destination, but commercial dispensary infrastructure remains limited. The real question is whether the festival’s trade show produces new licensing announcements or international partnerships that accelerate that buildout before the 2027 edition.