Tenerife Carnival 2025

Carnival on Tenerife is a grand, vibrant costume celebration. The Carnaval de Tenerife (or Carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife) combines the exquisite style of Venice with Brazilian passion. It is considered the largest in Europe and the second most important in the world after the Rio Carnival. Is that true?

Tenerife Carnival 2025 Program

January 18 – January 20, 7:00 PM: Stages and final of the Children’s Murgas Contest (Fases y final del Concurso de Murgas Infantiles) – a musical competition where children in costumes perform themed songs.

January 21, 7:00 PM: Choreographic Festival at the Exhibition Complex (Festival coreográfico en el Recinto Ferial) – a dance performance featuring various dance groups.

January 22 – January 24, 8:30 PM: Stages of the Santa Cruz Carnival Murgas Contest (Fases del Concurso de Murgas del Carnaval de Santa Cruz) – a murgas contest where adult participants perform satirical songs on current topics.

January 26, 8:30 PM: Final of the Adult Murgas Contest (Final del Concurso de Murgas adultas) – the final stage of the murgas competition, where the best performance is determined.

January 27, 8:00 PM: Musical Groups Contest at the Exhibition Complex (Concurso de agrupaciones musicales en el Recinto ferial) – a music contest where groups present their best works.

January 28, 6:00 PM: Gala for the Election of the Children’s Carnival Queen at the Exhibition Complex (Gala de Elección de la Reina Infantil en el Recinto Ferial) – a formal event where the children’s carnival queen is chosen.

January 31, 5:30 PM: Gala for the Election of the Elderly Carnival Queen (Gala de Elección de la Reina de los Mayores) – a special contest where elderly women compete for the title of queen.

February 2, 8:30 PM: Canción de la Risa (Song of Laughter) at the Guimerá Theater – a unique musical performance filled with humor and merriment.

February 3, 8:00 PM: Comparsas Contest at the Exhibition Complex (Concurso de comparsas en el Recinto Ferial) and Los Fregolinos Concert at the Guimerá Theater (8:30 PM) – a competition of dance groups, accompanied by a musical evening.

February 4: Costume Contest at the Exhibition Complex and Rondallas Contest at the Tenerife Auditorium Adán Martín (Concurso de disfraces en el Recinto Ferial y Certamen Rondallas en el Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín, 5:00 PM) – a celebration of creativity and talent in costume making and musical art.

February 7, 9:30 PM: Gala for the Election of the Carnival Queen at the Exhibition Complex (Gala de Elección de la Reina del Carnaval en el Recinto Ferial) – a magnificent event where the main carnival queen is chosen.

February 8, 8:30 PM: Zarzuela Festival at the Guimerá Theater (Festival de La Zarzuela en el Teatro Guimerá) – an evening of traditional Spanish opera.

🔥🔥 February 9, 8:00 PM: Announcing Cavalcade at Plaza de la República Dominicana (Cabalgata anunciadora en Plaza de la República Dominicana) – a grand parade announcing the start of the carnival.

February 10, 9:00 PM: Rhythm and Harmony Contest on Avenida Francisco La Roche (Certamen de Ritmo y Armonía en Avenida Francisco La Roche) – an exciting performance featuring the best dance and musical groups.

🔥 February 11: Nifú-Nifá-Fregolinos at Plaza Príncipe (11:00 AM) and Daytime Carnival (starting at 1:00 PM) – a vibrant and festive event including musical performances and a daytime celebration.

February 12: Carnival Monday (Lunes de Carnaval) – a day full of carnival joy and surprises.

🔥🔥🔥 February 13: Nifú-Nifá-Fregolinos at Plaza Príncipe (11:00 AM) and Coso on Avenida Francisco La Roche (starting at 1:00 PM) – musical performances and the traditional carnival parade.

February 14, 10:00 PM: Burial of the Sardine at Juan Pablo II (Entierro de la Sardina en Juan Pablo II) – a festive satirical event where a sardine is carried through the streets, and everyone pretends to mourn. You need to wear a mourning costume.

February 15, 8:30 PM: Rondallas Festival at the Guimerá Theater (Festival de Rondallas en el Teatro Guimerá) – a musical event where choirs perform traditional songs.

🔥 🔥 February 16, 6:00 PM: Children’s Coso on the Garcia Sanabria promenade (Coso Infantil en el Paseo García Sanabria) and Festival of Award Winners in Candelaria Square (8:00 PM, Festival Galardonados en Plaza Candelaria) – a festive children’s parade and an evening awarding the best participants of the carnival.

February 17: Day Carnival (starting at 1:00 PM) – continuation of daytime festive events, full of music and dancing.

🔥 February 18: Nifú-Nifá-Fregolinos in Principe Square (11:00 AM) and Closing of the Festival with Fireworks (starting at 6:00 PM, Fin de Fiesta y exhibición pirotécnica) – the final day of the carnival, filled with music and a stunning fireworks display.

Which days are better to attend the Carnival?

If you want to see the carnival, come on the 9th (Cabalgata) or the 16th of February. There will be fewer people on Tuesday the 13th (Nifú-Nifá-Fregolinos). It’s also interesting to participate in the Burial of the Sardine (Entierro de la Sardina) on the 14th of February. To get drunk and party, come on the last Saturday or Sunday.

The grand celebration encompasses all the cities on the island: La Laguna, Orotava, Arona, Candelaria, Puerto de la Cruz and others. The main events take place in the island’s capital – Santa Cruz (in Plaza de España). That’s where we headed.

We didn’t really want to drive, and we might not fit in the bus on the way back, so we bought a transfer for €22 at the local travel agency to take us there and back without any hassle. By 2 PM, everyone was already taking the best spots for viewing.

Each municipality develops its own program of events. As guidebooks claim – guests of the Canary archipelago can see the whole diversity of traditions – from the uninhibited merriment of the capital to the cozy atmosphere of provincial celebrations. Well, let’s see.

They drained the central city square for the carnival. And it was a lake just recently.

Someone takes a higher spot to be at the level of the carnival queens.

We took 2 chairs in a wide spot to take great photos. We had to pay €2 for the chairs.

Not all kids got a seat, so they settled right on the asphalt. There were so many dressed-up, cheerful little ones!

Closer to 4 PM, the first float appeared in the distance. Loud music was playing. A little man in a wig led the merry column.

On the roof of Studio 54, they were just starting to get boozy and very lazily waved to the spectators. Oh, what a naughty fun it’ll be in the evening!

A woman of a certain age in a bright pink puffy dress, pink hair, and spring ears was on the bus with us from Los Gigantes. Looks like she’s no stranger to this. By the way, here come the king and queen…

Everyone participates in the carnival: local residents and guests of the Canaries, mature people and youth; children have their own mini-carnival. The island’s top beauties take part in the casting for the role of the festival’s queen. Numerous designers and seamstresses create costumes, an army of prop makers craft accessories and decor.

The queens were chosen last week in the concert hall. By the way, let me tell you a bit about the carnival program. It lasts almost a month!

Main Carnival Events

The Carnival opens with the Pregon ceremony. The host introduces everyone to the program of events, after which the Murgas and Comparsas – local music and dance groups – perform. They sing couplets and songs dedicated to current events.

The first ceremonial event is the Election of the Queen (Gala Reina). The contestants for this role appear before the jury in incredible outfits. Meters of fabric, tons of feathers, kilograms of sequins and rhinestones go into making the carnival dresses. We didn’t attend this event, but we saw some of the queens at the parade, here are some photos.

The jury is made up of celebrities, both local and visiting. The girls must be beautiful and resilient – it’s not easy to move across the stage when your outfit weighs dozens of kilos. The newly elected queen takes the honored place.

Just imagine, a fragile woman dragging behind her an elegantly decorated huge trailer of feathers, sequins, and colorful ribbons. At the contest, they do all of this themselves without any helpers. But today at the carnival, they were simply loaded together with their dresses into the back of trucks and paraded for the delight of the public.

There is also a contest among children. Look at the children’s carnival queen. Lena didn’t immediately recognize her as a girl. She says she looks like she’s 30…

The first parade of the carnival is called the Cabalgata Anunciadora. For more than four hours, a procession announcing the opening of the main festivities walks through the streets of the island’s capital. After that, a series of performances, parades, and contests begins.

These include: Drag Queen – a parade of transvestites in elegant dresses and high-platform shoes. Mogollones – free open-air concerts, a parade of vintage cars, the election of the children’s mini-carnival queen, and much more.

The highlight of the celebration is the Gran Coso parade. It takes place on Shrove Tuesday and becomes the apex of the festivities. Hundreds of thousands of participants take part in the mass procession. It lasts for many hours – the streets are filled with a costumed crowd moving to the fiery rhythms of Latin music. Everyone dances! The street dances are accompanied by loud music and the explosions of firecrackers. The crowded event is illuminated by fireworks and only subsides towards morning. That’s what I’m talking about today.

Folklore ensembles, dance and music groups perform, and theater troupes give gala performances. Companies and businesses operating on the island are sure to send their representatives to the celebration. All those wishing to take part, regardless of age, gender, or status, join in the merry costumed processions.

Children

Children occupy a special place in the carnival, perhaps this daytime show is organized especially for them. Everyone from kindergarten to high school students participates in the parade.

Here’s a girl happily posing for everyone in a beautiful dress.

High school students have all dressed up as castles with clocks and owls on their heads.

And this is probably a group from kindergarten. They walk, laugh, and blow soap bubbles.

There are also very original costumes. A triton riding a shark with a lush pink-tailed mermaid.

Another nominee for the title of children’s queen. Her dress looks like a toy store.

A girl dressed as a cake walks with her mom, perhaps they’re representing a local confectionery.

A pensive unicorn boy, dreaming of something of his own.

Mischievous rooster boys chatting animatedly and crowing.

Little flamenco dancers in bright green dresses and black hats.

And how could we not have the local delicacy? A man carrying a sack on his head, but with what? Of course, Canarian potatoes!

Freaks

The most popular costume at the carnival is a man in women’s clothing. A lively lady-boy from the Moulin Rouge. Perhaps in ordinary life he’s a strict store manager selling pumps for oil refining companies, but here he’s the star!

And we saw this lively little man with a backpack a week later on the other side of the island. He was still swaggering along the road in a hat with a can of beer.

A milkmaid?

Well, why not? He just grabbed his girlfriend’s underwear, put it on, and voila – the costume is ready.

Wonders of cutting and sewing. Just with the help of fabric and foam you can make padded boobs and a Brazilian brown butt.

Or such a Brazilian brown butt.

Or you can simply shock everyone by walking around in grandma’s silk robe shaking your dick.

And these representatives of gay Europe… Yo… what’s there to say…

The immortal old Jackson himself with a stern security guard.

A punk with tattoos and… a doggy.

The tradition of holding carnivals on Tenerife dates back to the 17th century. European customs came to the island along with the conquistadors. The first masquerade festival can be considered the staged wedding of the court of Philip IV. Everyone was in disguise: the courtiers dressed as ladies, the king as a lackey, the queen as a commoner. At that festival, ordinary residents of the island were also masked. Remaining unrecognized, they could mock the shortcomings of their masters. The carnival freedom lifted all prohibitions and prejudices.

This principle is still followed. During the carnival, all norms of decent behavior are lifted – people allow themselves harmless hooliganism and even petty theft. Masks conceal all transgressions! The police have a hard time during this period, but no hooligans can ruin the amazing festive atmosphere.

There were periods of prosperity, times of stagnation and fierce persecution in the history of carnivals. During the dictatorship of Franco, the holiday was banned, its name could not even be mentioned. Subsequently, the official ban was lifted, but the carnival was condemned and considered an unworthy event. The residents of Tenerife ignored the prohibitions and prejudices, and held their carnival illegally.

The tradition was revived by 1961. In 1967, the “Winter Festival” took place, which attracted tourists to the island. Soon it was renamed the Carnival. Since then, El Carnaval de Tenerife has once again become a national holiday – revered and beloved.

Since 1976, the celebrations have been officially permitted by the government and fixed in the calendar. Since 1980, the holiday has become an international event. The 1987 carnival, held in the capital, was entered into the Guinness Book of Records. At that time, more than two hundred thousand people simultaneously participated in the street salsa to the songs of Celia Cruz.

The festival becomes brighter and grander every year. Each time, the main theme of the new carnival is determined. Usually it is related to historical events and published on the official website of the event.

Ordinary residents of the Canary Islands show off in front of the audience without any complexes. Everything happens sincerely and naturally. It’s worth noting the fun grandmas.

Ladies are beautiful and attractive at any age.

No one is shy about their body. Everyone loves themselves as they are.

I even saw an elderly queen in a gorgeous bright dress.

Didn’t get bored? Here’s some more positivity.

I know what you’re waiting for the most – more queens with huge… dresses. How about another mermaid?

Nah, just kidding. Sharing everything I took pictures of.

The dress on the girl should be minimal, and the feathers should be as wide-spread as possible.

They send you greetings from Tenerife!

Almost all the dresses had another girl in a more modest dress standing behind them. Probably a double.

Very original, like a snow queen with frozen icicles of colored ice.

Another gorgeous lady.

Well, here’s another one.

And now, some dancing!

Yes!!! A tough little man with a pantomime act from a group of scoundrels. He was walking around and treating everyone to whiskey or vodka.

This couple, on the other hand, is all about a healthy lifestyle. Slim and toned. A gladiator and his beloved.

A girl with a camera. Very cute.

The crew from the legendary game of all time and nations – Packman! Remember when the little round guy ran around the screen and ate apples?

Carnival, carnival!

Girls with bells.

Some Thai costumes.

Oopsie, what hats!

A hipster on a bamboo bicycle.

A wire bicycle. Trendy, right?

Yeah, cool bicycle!

How do you like this Ferrari?

Elvis is alive! Only the guitar seems a bit small.

Happy drummers.

Ghostbusters and a green foam Slimer.

The little ones also want to participate. Check out the smoked baby in the background.

A cake hat. Don’t forget the gingerbread man from Shrek.

Another child queen. I like this one better.

The little gymnasts put on a whole show. They were spinning, tumbling, and doing splits.

When everyone was told to smile…

Hulk, Iron Man, and Spider-Man.

Cool ladies.

An elephant.

Want a picture for Instagram?

That’s quite a costume too!

And these must be mailmen from all over the city. There’s a cutie with them too.

Astronauts and rocket children!

The kitty got bored.

The doctors will save you from all winter ailments and spring vitamin deficiencies.

How do you like Chewbacca with the boy? They didn’t forget about Star Wars either. A whole delegation came through.

It was getting late. Outside, things were getting trashier and wilder. But we, like diligent pensioners, will go and get ready for bed.

A whole field of buses was ferrying the cheerful carnival participants and spectators all evening.

What do carnivals end with?

The next day, the last carnival event takes place – Entierro de la Sardina (Burial of the Sardine). Just like our Maslenitsa, its participants burn a symbol of the departing holiday – a huge cardboard fish – in the square. The sardine is accompanied by a mournful procession of people in masks – it can be sad to part with the carnival. The spectators cry, filling the streets with theatrical moans. The ashes left from the burned effigy are buried on the beach. However, there’s no time to grieve. From the next day, preparations for the new holiday begin!

When is Carnival?

Carnival takes place in early February.

They start preparing for the new carnival right after the previous one ends. The dates for the celebrations vary each year. The start of the festivities is determined by the date of Catholic Easter: the carnival must end before Lent. The program lasts for a whole month, but the main events take place during the last, Butter Week. Usually, the holiday is in February, sometimes in March.

You can check the dates and see the detailed program of the next Carnival here.

It was fun, but a bit modest for a carnival.

This was Misha. I was there myself, drinking mead and beer, it was flowing down my mustache but didn’t reach my mouth, leaving my soul drunk and full.

Check out my report from the Moors and Christians festival: