Marc Anthony on Friday evening, great nights of festivities, the marathon and live bands on Sunday morning, the Grand Parade, and the burial and burning of the sardine, will get the carnival-goers moving
The celebrations are coming to an end, but not before holding two special galas: the Integration Carnival, diverse and free of barriers for all, and Divas for the Crown, a kind of freestyle rap battle in which female impersonators’ characterisation skills are assessed
Monday 23 February 2026. The Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival bids farewell to its 50th edition with a spectacular finale. The sixth and final week of the carnival calendar has been reserved for Marc Anthony’s concert in the Santa Catalina arena, all-night sessions on the 27th and 28th, the Grand Parade with its 117 floats and mobile party trucks on Saturday afternoon and evening, a Sunday morning with a widows’ marathon and live music, and the burial and burning of the sardine, bringing hundreds of thousands of carnival-goers out onto the streets from Friday 27 February to Sunday 1 March.
The Social Integration Gala
Before that, Santa Catalina Park will have held a heartwarming event: the Integration Gala. Its participants — people with disabilities, ardent, devoted and passionate carnival-goers — demonstrate that enthusiasm knows no barriers and that the Carnival and its stage are for all. On Wednesday 25 February, anyone who wants to enjoy the most endearing event on the programme will find the gates of the enclosure open to their participation.
Divas for the Crown Contest
The next day, on Thursday 26 February, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria will inaugurate Divas for the Crown, a new contest that brings eight participants up on stage to compete with each other in lip-sync battles for the title of best female impersonator in “Las Vegas”.
Daytime Carnival and Carnival Nights
On the final Friday, 27 February, from 3 pm to 10 pm, the main Carnival stage will welcome various artists and DJs in a succession of concerts culminating with Marc Anthony, from 8 pm, following Luck Ra, at 4 pm, and Emily Stefan, at 6 pm.
That same day, and also on Saturday, the nighttime stages in Manuel Becerra, Plaza de La Luz and Calle Poeta Agustín Millares Sall will be active, with bands, orchestras and DJs from 11 pm to 4 am on Friday and from 10 pm to 5 am on Saturday, the day of the parade, including Ozuna’s concert at midnight in Manuel Becerra.
Grand Parade and Burial of the Sardine
Before the grand finale on Sunday 1 March, with the procession that carries the sardine from the Metropole to Las Canteras for its symbolic burning, the city will have held its largest mass event: the Grand Parade, a procession which, following behind the Carnival court, brings together more than 100,000 people along the route among the 117 floats that become mobile discos all over the city.
On Sunday morning, there’s still time for those who don’t stay up all night. The heart of the festivities hosts another morning of concerts and a widows’ marathon.
The organisers remind you that you can find details of the concerts and the programme in the calendar on the home page at lpacarnaval.com, in both the English and Spanish versions.