The ‘Olympic Games Carnival’ revolved around an event that is as universal as the Carnival itself, an allegory perfectly in tune with the open, cosmopolitan nature of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
The Games were, in effect, the perfect ‘arena’ for costumes and galas, with an infinite array of possibilities for the typically imaginative carnival masks. What better than an Olympic Carnival for celebrations with an international flavour, which have always been up there with the best, never having been lacking in sporting allusions.

The carnivals dedicated to ‘The Olympic Games’ were promoted with the work of Isaac Alberto Guerrero Medina. His entry was chosen from among five other finalists by viewers of a televised Carnival special, broadcast on 8 August. Voting was held via SMS.

The poster, as he explained, is an ‘invitation to festivities whose guiding principles will be unity in diversity and peace in entertainment’. Its centrepiece, an Olympic torch held aloft by two cartoon gods, Poseidon and Nike, is surrounded by sports such as surfing and athletics, and the city’s iconic spaces.

Architect Carlos Santos was engaged to bring his excellence in stage design to the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival. He is a scenic designer with a diverse and extensive career in the opera, scenic arts, and carnival circuit, with over a hundred productions to his name. He created one of the most emblematic carnival sets, in Rio, after winning the contest of ideas organized in 2019, and in 2021 he worked on the set design of the televised gala ‘El Carnaval Vive en Tu Corazón’ alongside XhOXb.

For the set of ‘The Olympic Games’ Carnival, his idea was to study the Greek roots of the Olympic Games, tracing them back to the sacred site of Olympia and the connection between the different peoples. Taking this retrospective viewpoint, Santos focused on certain elements that connected it to the modern Games: the great cauldron, the ribbons and olive leaves, and an extraordinary athletics track surrounded by the stalls for spectators. All of this would be integrated with cutting-edge technology, plus 350 square metres of LED display panel and more than a mile of LED units.

The opening ceremony was officiated by the president of the theatrical troupe known as Afilarmónica Los Nietos de Kika, Orlando Jiménez. This veteran murguero — the name given to musical-theatre performers such as these — lit the Olympic flame of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival.

One of the Carnival greats, dressed up in the first costume used by his murga troupe when the festivity was brought back in 1976, and flanked by a major assortment of Carnival groups, he took the floor to confess how much he loved carnival festivities and how passionate he was about the murga. He recalled the history and the efforts of all those who forged the identity of his Nietos de Kika over the years.

The biggest Olympian gala of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria closed on Friday, 28 February, with the coronation of its long-awaited Queen. Representing the El Centro de Guayadeque Restaurant, the elected monarch was Coral Gutiérrez, whose own light shone through with a costume entitled ‘Bohemia’, designed by Kilian Betancor Falcón. When it came time to express sentiments, she confessed to be living out her own ‘Disney tale’. For his part, Betancor expressed his immense satisfaction in obtaining a repeat triumph, having already had a taste of it some years back in the Drag Queen Gala.

Ármek is the Drag Queen of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival 2025. The Olympic Carnival saw Jared Pascual Beauty Salon’s candidate, Pedro Llomar Miranda, claim top spot on the podium, with his show ‘La belleza de lo oculto’ (Hidden Beauty) and costume design by Nancy Henríquez González.

A Carnival devotee, grateful to his parents for their support, Llomar is polite, earnest, and very professional, the champion of an edition in which he shone with a number that was as enjoyable as it was thought-provoking. His alter ego, Ármek, triumphed in Santa Catalina with an exercise in self-help: ‘At the end of the day, you have to take off the mask and be yourself’

Conchi Rivero Barrera was proclaimed Grand Dame of the Carnival of ‘The Olympic Games’. The candidate from the Ciudad Alta District triumphed in the gala with a design by Isidro Javier Pérez Mateo and Daniel Rivero Suárez called ‘Crisol de oro’ (Crucible of Gold). The Carnival’s senior crown once again attracted a large audience to the stage in Santa Catalina Park.

Ainhoa Zurita Ortega, the candidate from Zurita Pools, was crowned in the first of this year’s grand galas with a costume called ‘Truly Pompous’, designed by Santi Castro.

The festivities’ ‘mini-gala’ took place in a lively atmosphere around a Santa Catalina stage that was filled to capacity.

Performance
Los Legañosos, a murga troupe from El Carrizal took to the Olympic murguero podium with first prize for their performance in the Carnaval dedicated to the Olympic Games. The group also won the Premio Criticón given out by the press.
Los Chancletas took the second prize in the category home to the La Isleta District, and Chacho Tú took third.

Costumes
Despistadas once again won first prize for costumes, followed by Los Legañosos and Los Nietos de Sarymánchez.

Children’s Contest
The festivity dedicated to ‘The Olympic Games’ brought back the children’s competition with the conviction that its junior entrants will ensure the groups’ future. Up to five groups participated in the contest won by Los Chachitos. The group’s diminutive contestants won first prize for performance and costume.

The comparsa Baracoa claimed victory in an Olympian contest, with first prize for performance and costume.

Baracoa were a stand-out with the show ‘Beating Stronger Than Ever’ and their costume ‘Shall We Go All In?’. So, with choreography by Neftalí Betancor, the group’s president and director, and design by Omar Cejudo, Sebastián Betancor as well as Neftalí himself, they took the top prizes in each category back to the city neighbourhood where the group was formed, Lomo Apolinario.

Yoruba and Sur Caliente, who took second and third prizes, respectively, in both categories, also stood out in the Carnival’s most rhythm-fuelled contest.

Uniks retained the title they earned in 2024 in the group category, and Isidro Javier Pérez Mateo took first place in the individual category of the Costume Contest.

Uniks’ 22 members achieved the highest award both for choreography and for their costume ‘Glitzing Back to Santa Catalina’, and in the individual category Pérez Mateo won over the judges with his costume ‘Bread Means Bread. And Wine Means… Party at Mine!’

Sombra and Nono were Santa Catalina’s top Olympian pets. These veteran pooches, aged 15 and 9, took first prize in a Dog Carnival that has celebrated its 15th anniversary in a big way, with 26 pup participants and, once again, a crowd that had the venue filled to capacity.

The Pug and the French Bulldog were paraded in their ‘May the Carnival Force Be With You’ costume accompanied by owners Ángel Somarriba and Cristina Rodríguez. Dressed variously as Yoda, Darth Vader, Han Solo and Chewbacca, this was yet another edition in which pet and owner were able to enjoy the parade together. Both dogs went out in spaceships, little cars adapted so that they could continue sharing moments of Carnival magic together at the age of 15 and 9.

With sponsorship from Nature’s Variety, the jury also awarded the second and third prizes to mongrels Venus and Arepa — the 2024 winner — respectively, after a contest presented by the always up-for-it Baby Solano with his free-and-easy humour.