Soca lovers were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief on Wednesday (July 14) after being reunited with their favourite party.

After a year without any I Love Soca stagings, patrons of the event came out in their numbers to have a good time, notwithstanding the event being hosted on a Wednesday.

With curfew restrictions still in place, promoters of the event asked patrons to turn out early to enjoy a wholesome and safe party experience.

The event, which began at 4 pm, saw soca lovers making their way to the party as soon as the gates opened and saw a constant flow of partygoers making their way to the fete up until approximately 8 pm.

Patrons were required to be ‘masked up’ on entry and were sanitised at various stations before being granted access to the Stadium East event.

Throughout the event, attendees were constantly being reminded – by way of announcements – to sanitise regularly, wear masks when not drinking, and maintain social distancing by engaging only with the feting family with which they came.

As the night progressed, it was clear that patrons deemed the first event since the reopening of the entertainment sector a success, as they were more than happy to be “outsideee” with friends again and to do so responsibly.

When asked by Our Today what their opinions on the staging had been, many patrons responded happily that it was “full of vibes” and “extremely fun”.

According to Janne-Marie Ollivierre a Trinidadian who has had numerous experiences attending soca events, “It was soooo fun. It was very sectioned off and they had numerous announcements indicating for people to wear their masks if they’re not drinking, to wash and sanitise their hands (regularly) and to stick to their crew.”

Though she and her crew were all vaccinated, Ollivierre expressed her happiness that the protocols were being observed and patrons were able to have fun while being safe.

Thanks to an array of seasoned deejays including crowd favourites Richie Ras, Bloodline Franco and the ‘Road Marshall’ Brush 1 Chromatic, attendees got a chance to grease seized up waistlines while still enjoying a healthy dose of the occasional ‘Doukie’ and ‘Genna Bounce’.

Just before the night came to a close around 10:05 pm, patrons of the event were treated to a short but well-received performance by dancehall veteran Bounty Killer, marking the end of what was a highly anticipated and long overdue event.