Deandrea Hamilton
PROVIDENCIALES, Turks and Caicos Islands — A DJ, event promoter, and vocal figure in the Turks and Caicos nightlife community is calling foul on the government’s latest crackdown, describing the 90-day restriction on nightlife as “damaging” and “misguided.
“The decision to shut down nightlife from Sunday to Thursday at 12AM and Friday to Saturday at 2AM is not just disappointing, it’s damaging,” the promoter wrote in a widely shared statement. “This isn’t just about partying. It’s about livelihoods, businesses, staff, drivers, vendors, artists—the entire ecosystem that depends on the night economy.”
The Cabinet’s move—effective July 31 through late October—mandates that all licensed premises in the impacted areas of Providenciales must close by midnight on weekdays and 2AM on weekends. The rules apply across the board, with no exceptions, including to bars and lounges within hotels and resorts.
For an island reliant on tourism, critics say the new measures strike the wrong chord.
“Most of these crimes aren’t even happening at night… They’re happening in broad daylight, in troubled areas,” the DJ added. “So why are we punishing the entire business community instead of going after the root of the problem?”
The nighttime curfew is just one part of a sweeping national security response to a spike in violent crime, including:
- Legislation for Extraordinary Police Powers
- Amendments to the Disaster Management Act allowing curfews and business closures in crime hotspots
- Mandatory police vetting for all licensed venues and one-off events
- A crackdown on underage drinking, with tougher penalties for violators
But for those in nightlife and entertainment, the measures hit especially hard.
“If you have a stable 9–5 job and a guaranteed paycheck every month, good for you,” the DJ wrote. “But that doesn’t give anyone the right to destroy the income of hundreds of hardworking people in the entertainment industry.”
As one of the most robust responses to crime in recent years, the 90-day nightlife freeze is drawing concern not only for what it restricts—but for what it fails to address.
