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CARNIVAL 2026 has received another blow as organisers of the Ultimate Soca Champion (USC) have confirmed there will be no competition for soca artistes this year.

The USC, introduced in 2025 as a replacement for the defunct Soca Monarch competition, will not be staged due to a lack of funding.

In a WhatsApp exchange with the Express yesterday, USC CEO Jerome “Rome” Precilla said he hopes to bring the competition back next year with support from the Ministry of Culture and the National Carnival Commission (NCC).