Xodus Carnival’s Fête Gala was not short on glam, entertainment, and cuisine options at its first staging at The Ruins at The University of the West Indies, Mona, on Wednesday night through early Thursday.

The fete was a collaboration with Hennessy as a special calendar event for the Jamaica Carnival celebrations.

Most patrons stayed true to the theme of formal red and gold attire; however, there were pockets of black across the well-decorated venue.

The event came to its peak with surprise performances from Trinidadian soca artiste Voice as well as Jamaica’s very own Chris Martin, Leftside, Shenseea, and Ding Dong.

Speaking to the Jamaica Observer, marketing manager for Xodus Carnival Shanique Hayden noted that the event, which will see more iterations in coming years, was an opportunity for revellers to explore their fashion creativity.

“This event fits in really well with our theme of mas couture [and] celebrating fashion. We decided to celebrate an iconic fashion event — the Met Gala — but it’s Carnival, so we put our twist to it and named it a Fête Gala. It’s really just a celebration of fashion,” Hayden said.

The marketing manager also said that Xodus remains committed to providing carnival lovers with a variety of events to enjoy.

“We always try to bring something different to the Carnival party landscape, and that’s why we brought this event. The set-up is really great; everybody looks awesome in their elegantly chic outfits, so, of course, we’d want to bring this one back and add new elements,” she continued.

Meanwhile, international director of Hennessy Eric Gilabert who travelled from France to be part of the brand’s endorsed event was pleased with the gala’s execution.

“It’s a fantastic event, it’s a fantastic country, and as you can see the brand is very visible. People seem to be very happy; they’re enjoying the party and it’s very important for me,” he told the Observer.