2013 - Grand Masked Ball

A poster with Venetian and Surrealist overtones announced the 2013 Grand Masked Ball Carnival. The winning poster, by designers Tina Pérez and Inés Valiente, personified our capital's most important festivities.

The 2013 Carnival stage reproduced a large public square where the festivities could take place. This huge ballroom, with eye-catching features such as a casino, a city hall, a kiosk and a cupola, was the stage for the carnival costumes of all the participants.

The Grand Masked Ball Carnival opening proclamation was a virtual one for the second year running.

The video, shared on YouTube at the beginning of the month of January, starred citizens and different representatives of the social, economic and cultural sphere of the Gran Canaria capital.

The Grand Masked Ball Carnival kicked off officially with the crowning of Giovanna Lee as Carnival Queen.

The three juries, made up of specialists, the press and guests, together with the public's vote, coincided in awarding the sceptre and crown to the candidate presented by the terrace bar KOPA Las Palmas with the costume “Lágrimas por ti” (Tears over You) by Willie Díaz.

Drag Xoul and his costume “Okobango, la joya del Kalahari” (Okobango, The Jewel of The Kalahari) took the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival sash to Arrecife.

Born in Seville, and resident in Lanzarote, Jesús Casilla, in representation of Ayuntamiento de Arrecife, modelled a costume designed by Willie Díaz, who, with this prize, took the 4th prize in the Grand Masked Ball Carnival.

The candidate from the Centro Comercial El Muelle, Concepción Reyes, received the title of Grand Dame of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Masked Ball Carnival. Her design “Noche de Luna llena” (Night of Full Moon), created by Willie Díaz, took her to the throne which she sat on for a year.

The candidate from the Centro Comercial El Muelle, Selena Pérez, was crowned Junior Carnival Queen. The young girl paraded with her costume “Érase una vez”, (Once Upon a Time), a creation from Willie Díaz.

The group Los Serenquenquenes took the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival First Prize for Performance to Agüimes once again. As well as this, it collected the Tomás Pérez Prize for Best Lyrics for the song “Los que viven de la crisis” (People who Live Off The Crisis).

The members of the Baracoa Comparsa were awarded the First Prize for Performance and Second Prize for Costume in the Grand Masked Ball Carnival Comparsas Contest.

The junior Comparsa Kisamba was the big winner of the 2013 Junior Comparsas Contest. The kids won the top prize both for performance and for costume.

Neftalí Betancor, with an artistic creation entitled “Sumergido en mi mar, ideas, escamas y agallas” (Submerged in My Sea, Ideas, Scales and Gills), made by Nauzet Afonso Felipe, and sponsored by Carnicería, Charcutería y Frutería Cándido, took the first prize in the Body Painting Contest.

A Venetian lady in a gondola, with good knowledge of Canarian folklore, won the first prize in the 2013 Carnival Fancy Dress Contest. The designer and performer, Juan Lola Suárez, came out onto the stage in the costume “De Venecia al Puerto de La Luz sin pasar por Santa Cruz” (From Venice to Puerto de La Luz without Passing through Santa Cruz). His performance was in representation of Amanda Bus.

In the groups category, the prize went to Las Mamachicho, who danced on the stage in their costumes entitled “El pájaro me riscó la gondola” (The Bird Mucked up The Gondola) by Pedro Rodríguez and the group itself. It should be noted that both prize winners were recognised by the jury in 2012.

Thor, a Golden Retriever owned by Gisela Betancor, took the First Prize in the Dogs' Carnival. The two of them paraded in the costume “Tramonto a Venecia” (Sunset in Venice).