The Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival stands firm in a crisis, and this year, 2022, it emerges as a different kind of celebration: despite the restrictions imposed by the health crisis, the organizers have put together a wide-ranging programme of events in Santa Catalina Park, the heart of the festival. There, from 25 February, on a stage dedicated to the planet and with a message of working together to preserve it, murgas and comparsas will compete and drag queens and candidates for the festival throne will parade. There will also be events for families and for the youngest members of the audience, as well as the spectacular body painting contest and the Canine Carnival.

In a year when we needed to prepare a safe Carnival, with limited capacity and stringent safety measures associated with the health crisis, Santa Catalina stands as a true monument to the spirit of the celebrations. The theme chosen by the audience in 2022 is the planet and its conservation: this conveys a universal message, which will set the scene for the costumes of the groups and the candidates for the crowns, male as well as female .

None of the usual contests will be missing from the programme. There won’t be any mass concerts or street parties to accompany these galas and contests, but that’s not what really matters. As a Fiesta of National Tourist Interest, and a candidate for recognition as a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest, the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival confirms its position as an expression of the popular spirit, resilient in the face of difficulties and ever optimistic, with a big smile behind the costumes.

Dates to remember

The festival gets underway on 25 February, with the official announcement, and remains at fever pitch for ten straight days in Santa Catalina, with the fancy dress, murgas and comparsas contests, as well as the galas to decide the Junior crown and the Grande Dame. Then come the most iconic events: the Carnival Queen Gala on 11 March and the Drag Queen Gala on 18 March. Just two days later we celebrate the symbolic Burial of the Sardine, the final act of a different kind of festival, affected by circumstances but still going strong after 2021, a year marked by COVID-19.