The Las Palmas Carnival is known as one of the best free parties in Europe!
For three weeks every year, they celebrate one of the biggest, best and hottest carnivals in the world!
This is a carnival that easily rivals Rio Carnival. During Carnival, every corner of this island transforms into a non-stop party, filled with music, colour, humour, dancing, feasting and fun!
What really makes this Canarian Carnival special is the amazing temperatures of these gorgeous islands. While mainland Spain and the rest of Europe suffer through the freezing cold winter, this Island is sunny and warm all year round. And while you’ll enjoy the weather, you’ll adore the carnival!
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival is filled with some of the best entertainment that you could ever possibly see, and humour takes centre-stage at this carnival! You have parades, parties, dance troupes, drag contests, floats, and fireworks. You can enjoy the incredible processions and the originality of the flashy costumes.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is a city that is accustomed to being incredibly welcoming to outsiders. So welcoming that it makes friendly merriment contagious! So much so that visitors soon get caught up in the carnival celebrations! Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival is a vibrant, lively and open party, that everyone is welcome to join!
The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean about 1300 kilometres from the mainland of Spain and about 210 kilometres off the north western coast of Africa. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival takes place in the Gran Canarian Capita, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Most carnival events and celebrations take place in Santa Catalina Park (Parque de Santa Catalina) which is located between Las Canteras Beach and the Cruise Ship Pier. It is a spectacular outdoor setting. A huge stage gets built there in Santa Catalina Park and that is where the murgas, comparsas, concerts, Queen and Drag Queen Competitions, children’s groups, body paint events and the dog carnival is held.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is an open and tolerant city where all are welcome! This can be reflected in its carnival celebrations whose identifying features are all about embracing and defending diversity, to ensure freedom and respect for all!
The Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival goes to every effort to ensure that everyone, no matter their background or age, without exclusion, feels part of the fiesta.
One of the highlights of the carnival is the gala night, when the queen of the carnival is crowned. The Carnival Queen, chosen from among several candidates, is the star of the carnival in Gran Canaria.
Each contestant wears an extremely large and impressive costume made of colourful feathers, sparkling stones, and sparkling sequins. These costumes can weigh up to 100 kilograms and have a diameter of up to 3 meters. The costumes are the result of a year of hard work and dedication.
The Dog Carnival is actually one of the most popular events to occur during La Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival and it’s hard not to be in a good mood, watching all the cute dogs wearing costumes that their owners mad for them. If you are an animal lover, then don’t miss this event!
Another highlight of the carnival is the Body Art Competition, where professional artists create authentic works of art using naked human bodies as canvases. Naked skin is transformed into a masterpiece using an airbrush or simple brush in an art display.
If you are a lover of traditions, the Burial of the Sardine is up to the task. This carnival celebration is the culmination and marks the official end of the carnival. There is a large parade from the old town of Triana to Las Caneras beach, where a giant sardine-shaped figure is burned on the beach to symbolize the end of the carnival.
People dress in black and mourn, you will see some cry and fall to the ground in "agony", which is quite fun to watch. Jugglers and musicians accompany the sardine on its last journey.
After the parade , all the mourners gather on Las Canteras beach, and the sardine waits afloat in the Atlantic. The sardine is in the background on the horizon, and suddenly BOOM! La Sardina begins to burn, followed by a spectacular fireworks display that symbolizes the end of the carnival.
Learn more about the Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
Also, check our list of the best hotels in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and book your stay during the event.