From flower carts to phone boxes as youngsters dress up for National Day

Nine children in red and white took centre stage at Casemates Square on Thursday morning as Gibraltar’s annual National Day Fancy Dress Competition returned, celebrating creativity and meticulous costume-making.

Hosted by Shyanne Azzopardi and Jaylynn Cruz, and judged by Penny Garcia and Chief Culture Officer at Cultural Services Seamus Byrne, the event formed part of the National Day programme.

Prizes included a trophy donated by the Ministry of Culture and vouchers contributed by local businesses.

Siblings Gabriella and Matthew took first prize in the Ages 6 and Under category and Kacey Cross in the ages 7 - 11 category.

Coming in second and third place in the Ages 6 and Under were Owen Charles and Nicole Powers, and in the ages 7 to 11 category were Leandro Charles Power Candil and Sharon Vampu.

The competition opened with the Ages 6 and under category with Owen, aged two, taking centre stage in his beret and red romper suit.

Next were the winning siblings Gabriella and Matthew, also two, who impressed judges with Gabriella pulling a cart with real flowers and her brother onboard.

A third young contestant, Nicole Powers, rounded off the category, with the hosts highlighting the teamwork of mothers, grandmothers and families who had worked behind the scenes to bring each costume to life.

In the Ages 7 - 11 category, contestants showcased more elaborate, largely handmade costumes, many of them designed and crafted by the children themselves, featuring handmade jewellery, decorative elements, and personal creativity.

All bar one child walked onto the stage. One contestant, Leandro, shuffled as he was wearing a cardboard replica of the iconic red telephone box.

When asked if it was comfortable, he gave a one word answer, “no”, but that didn’t stop him from scooping second prize.

Throughout the competition, children were invited to walk the stage, twirl, and pose so that both the judges and the audience could appreciate the full scale and detail of their costumes. The hosts repeatedly commended the high standard of entries when doing so.

While Mr Byrne has been involved in National Day celebrations and events for many years on the organisation side, this was his first time judging.

Speaking to the Chronicle after he thanked everyone for entering, he praised the standard of entries and stressed the importance of keeping traditional forms of creativity alive in an age of artificial intelligence.

“We're very, very grateful to everybody who takes part because it's important to take part,” he said.

“It's important that these traditions are never lost, and we continue be able to produce these events and for many, many people to put pen to paper and be creative because that's important,” he said.

“It's not about AI, and AI doing these things for us. It's about being creative as well.”

Stepping in after a regular judge was unable to attend, he described the experience as “great” but challenging, noting the wide range of “design, creativity and visual impact” on display.

With many strong submissions, he described the judging process as “very, very difficult”, with Mr Byrne admitting they would have liked to give “a prize to everybody”.

While only a limited number of winners could be selected, every participating child received a medal in recognition of their effort and creativity.