The Gran Canaria capital will be celebrating this fancy dress party par excellence from 23 January to 1 March, with galas, competitions and invitations to hit the streets
You can follow many of the activities via the web pages of the public broadcasting channels RTVC and RTVE
Access to the staged acts is free until capacity is reached, with exceptions being the Drag Queen Preselection event, The Carnival Queen Gala and the Drag Queen Gala: tickets for these events will be put on sale closer to the date of each event
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Monday 19 January, 2026. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival celebrates the 50 years it has been in existence after its revival following the ending of the Spanish dictatorship. And the fact is that this fancy dress party par excellence, despite being kept alive clandestinely, returned to the streets on the death of the dictator, even before the configuration of a new democracy, a new political model for coexistence and the passing of the 1978 Constitution.
The holding of the event highlights the particular character of the celebrations which, since 2023, have been recognised as a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest and, officially, one of the major attractions of Brand Spain overseas.
From 23 January to 1 March, therefore, the Gran Canaria capital will be the setting for a large number of galas, competitions and street celebrations where freedom, irreverence, respect and good humour make up a fundamental part of the Carnival’s identity.
The theme for this occasion will see the Carnival’s enclosure and its competitions turned into grand spectacles equalling the level of the city in Nevada, since “Las Vegas” will be the theme running through each one of our events. So, there will be glamour, luxury and musicals; figures such as Elvis, Sinatra, Mariah Carey and Céline Dion; neon lights and majestic hotel fronts will feature alongside each other in the festival of the flesh.
Visitors to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will be sucked into a world of fantasy and will enjoy a wide programme, which includes the famous galas. Details of the programme are to be found at this URL. Access to events in the majority of cases is free until capacity it reached, with the exception of the Drag Queen Preselection event, The Carnival Queen Gala and the Drag Queen Gala: tickets for these events will be put on sale via ticket platforms a few days prior to the holding of each event. Events can also be followed on screen, with the public channels RTVC and RTVE, depending on the event, broadcasting content on their digital platforms.
The organisers recommend you keep a close eye on your Social Media. There will be information in English on FB, at Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival; and on X, @lpacarnival.