Once upon a time… A carnival with the magic of a fairytale: an extraordinary story unfolds in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, which locals experience to the full and which is also attractive for holidaymakers visiting the city. The carnival with many years of experience behind it, an extensive programme open to all, a vocation to breaking rules and lots of fun and entertainment is back once again in 2020.
This year the festival is a tale that builds up around Santa Catalina Park, where the main events will take place on a purpose built stage for this year’s carnival. Although it actually begins in Vergueta (on February 7, with the opening speech at 9.00pm), the original birthplace of the city that today is the main hub of the mid-Atlantic: a compulsory connection when crossing between Europe, Africa and America. This is why Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is an open, cosmopolitan and multicultural city. And its Carnival is a reflection of all of the above. This is going to be the case again until March 1.
Visitors can enjoy the festival throughout a programme which gives a leading role in its first week to the murgas and the comparsas (satirical performances and street bands) after choosing its Grand Dame February 9 at 8.00pm in Santa Catalina): the first member of a court where there is room for both sexes, young, adult and elderly. Carnival belong to everyone in this tale.
The first week of the festivities also feature the fancy dress competition (Pure Carnival, Thursday 13 at 9.00pm). And the junior crown will be awarded at the Children’s Gala on Sunday 16 at 6.30pm. All these events, such as the murgas and comparsas competitions on these dates are open to the public and free to enter.
The only exception is murgas final on February 15 (8.00pm). It’s also important to keep a close eye on the dates when the organisers announce the sale of tickets for the Queen Gala, the Drag Queen Preselection and the Drag Queen Gala. These acts take over the big weekend between 21 and 25 February, and although prices are reasonable, tickets (at the ticket office and over the internet) are highly sought after and usually sell out in a matter of hours.
Another unmissable feature on the programme are the carnival gatherings on the streets during the day: Vergueta (15/02), Santa Catalina (25/02) and Las Canteras (22/02). And the main cavalcade on the 29th when the costumes take centre stage to become the real king of the carnival story
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