Bermuda Day announces itself long before the parade begins. Before the first majorette steps on to Front Street or the first Gombey sighting, the sound is felt.

Music booming from large speakers, the beat of the drum, cow bells ringing, whistles blowing. Families drag tents, coolers and chairs into place while vendors set up for the long day ahead. And somewhere in the middle of it all the energy starts to shift.

“Before the Bermuda Day Parade even begins, it sounds like pure energy building in waves,” says Patrina O’Connor-Paynter.

“You hear the bass of the DJ’s music thumping through the streets, people laughing and talking, and that unmistakable buzz of excitement in the air.”

For Mrs O’Connor-Paynter, who has hosted the Heritage Day Parade for years, Bermuda Day is not simply an event. It is a feeling that builds collectively across the island.

“It’s the sound of a community coming alive,” she says. “Families gathering, vendors setting up, dancers getting ready and the crowd feeding off each other’s energy. When people start marking their parade spots, that’s when you know Bermuda Day is officially here.”

There’s something deeply Bermudian about that ritual. Families arriving early, taping off sidewalks, setting up tents and chairs, coolers packed for the day ahead. Entire generations returning to the same viewing spots year after year.

“It’s not rushed, it’s intentional,” Mrs O’Connor-Paynter says. “People are preparing for the full experience from start to finish.”

Then the music starts.

“The moment the music starts and you feel that first bassline hit, everything shifts. The crowd comes alive instantly. People start moving, dancing, waving, smiling and there’s this electric connection that runs through the entire street.”

But Bermuda Day isn’t powered by one sound alone. It is layers: drums, whistles, engines, stereo systems, crowd chants, cowbells, DJs, Gombeys and majorettes.

Mrs O’Connor-Paynter continues: “Sound is absolutely essential to the energy of Bermuda Day. From the powerful drumbeats of the Gombeys to the sharp whistles cutting through the air, every sound plays a role in building that atmosphere.”

And for the DJs stationed throughout the route, reading the crowd becomes part instinct, part experience.

For Bakari “DJ iBreeze” Smith, Bermuda Day crowds respond to almost everything.

“I always scan crowds to see who’s singing, dancing or just tapping their feet. But on that day pretty much everything hits. People are just happy.”

That energy shapes the soundtrack of the day itself.

“The people love old school reggae. They also love hearing local music. My formula is 75/25. Seventy-five per cent music people know versus 25 per cent music you may not.”

But above all else, Bermuda Day music is meant to uplift.

He continues: “Music is powerful. Bermuda Day is all about uplifting vibes. Sweet reggae, groovy soca, even fist-pumping songs.”

Asked what Bermuda Day sounds like overall, Mr Smith says: “LOUD. But all in all, it’s all love.”

For the Warwick United Majorettes, that atmosphere is something you physically feel from inside the parade itself.

“Bermuda Day from inside the parade line-up sounds like excitement, pride, happiness, anticipation and pure energy all happening at once,” says Kidist Emery, of Warwick United.

“You hear drums warming up, stereo systems playing, cowbells ringing, people laughing, dancing, cheering and performers getting themselves ready.”

“There’s also a healthy competitive energy in the air. Every group wants to perform well and bring good vibes to the crowd”, adds Nikeisha Burrows, also of Warwick United.

And once the parade starts moving, the sound becomes almost impossible to separate into individual parts.

She continues: “The drums, bands, people, food vendors, crowd reactions and parade anthems all blend together into one big sound that feels uniquely Bermuda Day.”

And for majorettes, rhythm is everything.

“The beat controls our timing, confidence, synchronisation and overall energy. Once the drums and cowbells start, you feel it move through your body”, Ms Emery says.

“The rhythm keeps the group connected,” Ms Burrows adds. “The beat becomes the pulse of the group. It’s what turns marching into a performance.”

And there is one particular stretch of road where everything changes emotionally.

Ms Emery explains: “Front Street is iconic for Bermuda Day, but Cedar Avenue is where the energy really lifts our group personally. The crowd there feels loud, connected, cultural and fully engaged with the performance.

By the time the group reaches Cedar Avenue the energy becomes reciprocal.

Ms Burrows adds: “The crowd’s excitement gives everyone a second wind. It carries us, moves us and pushes us to perform even harder. When people are smiling, cheering, recording, dancing and reacting positively, it gives the group even more confidence and motivation.

At the emotional centre of Bermuda Day, however, are the Gombeys.

For Cal “DJ Mystro” Raynor, of H&H Gombeys, the sound of the drum is inseparable from the identity of the day itself.

“The sound of the drum on Bermuda Day means it’s party time,” he says. “It’s let’s go. Time to turn up. Time to show up.”

Mr Raynor has been part of Gombey culture since he was 3 years old.

“Before conventional drumming and DJing, it’s Gombeys,” he says.

To outsiders the performance may appear spontaneous, but every movement and rhythm carries deeper meaning.

“People may feel like we dress up and just dance. There’s actual meaning to the steps that we do. Every drum beat has meaning as well.”

The drumming itself demands endurance.

Mr Raynor explains: “You have to train for it. Your endurance as well. Be a healthy person all together.”

And just like the majorettes, there is one section of the parade route that changes the atmosphere completely.

“When we’re about to turn onto Cedar Avenue, that atmosphere alone, that’s where it’s like ‘yes’.”

Asked what sound defines Bermuda Day more than anything else, Mr Raynor answers immediately.

“The bass drum. When everybody hears that bass drum, everybody immediately runs and looks for the Gombeys.”

That connection, he says, is instinctive.

“You just automatically vibe. It’s in your heart as a Bermudian of African descent.”

And that emotional connection is what separates Bermuda Day from simply being a parade.

Mrs O’Connor-Paynter says: “Sometimes visitors or younger Bermudians see Bermuda Day as just a parade or a big event. But it’s much deeper than that. There’s history behind every beat of the drum, every Gombey movement, every group on the road.”

Over the years, the sound of Bermuda Day has evolved. Bigger speakers; stronger basslines; more layered production. But the soul remains intact.

She continues: “It’s louder, more dynamic, more layered, but still deeply rooted in who we are. Bermuda Day continues to grow, but it never loses its soul.”