One of the Carnival’s points of reference. Over twenty editions have already taken place, with the event now consolidated as one of the programme’s major evenings. The Drag Queen event is a really outstanding event in the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival when it comes to its promotion abroad: the best-established Drag Queen competition, a real revindication of the open, provocative and diverse nature of the celebrations. 

The Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival and its ‘Drag Queen Gala’ have also been represented in the Pride celebrations in Madrid, and have been featured content in iconic magazines such as Shangay, as well as numerous appearances and references in the international press. The State Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Trans and Bisexuals (FELGTB) gave the ‘Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival Drag Queen Carnival’ its 2018 ‘Premio Pluma’ for “being an international symbol of diversity and revindication in terms of festive celebration and of freedom”.

As with the ‘Carnival Queen Gala’, Santa Catalina Park is a live experience with one of its most exciting nights before an invariably sold-out audience on this great night of the platforms. The live broadcast on television and on YouTube sends audience numbers up considerably. 

Since the ‘Drag Queen Gala’ had its first edition in 1998, its fame has crossed many borders. The presence of RuPaul as a guest performer in 2008 was significant: just a year later, RuPaul themself was behind the emergence of the television programme Drag Race. A coincidence?

Drag Queen Preselection

The abundance of candidates for the contest is such that each year a preselection phase is held to decide who the finalists will be. It’s no easy matter to reach the final, because you have to stand out among a great quantity of contenders, and it is normal for there to be over thirty of them. 

This preselection process is not broadcast because the effect of their presence on stage in the impatiently awaited “Drag Queen Gala” has to be preserved. The Gala itself is followed by television cameras.

Just as for the gala itself, tickets for the Preselection sell out in hours and, since 2022, the event is broadcast later on the Carnival playlist on YouTube.