Bermuda’s most famous beach was taken over by crowds celebrating the first day of the annual Cup Match holiday. Chewstick hosted the 6th Annual BeachFest Emancipation Celebration at Horseshoe Bay Beach, which was sponsored by the Bermuda Department of Tourism, Digicel Bermuda, BGA, KPMG, Brown and Co., Ignition Limited, and Premiertickets.bm.
Prior to the event, a spokesperson said, “This year, we are rebranding the event “PeaceFest” to call attention to the growing ultra-violence in Bermuda. PeaceFest is one of the few local events that people from all segments of Bermuda attend and we are using this platform to both celebrate emancipation and encourage the community to reunite and stand against the senseless violence that is plagueing our community.”
Unfortunately, not everyone got the message, with the event experiencing at least two separate outbreaks of fights. One incident saw the police respond and arrest two people, and an incident later involving females.
