The Carnival of Maspalomas is one of the most outstanding carnivals in Spain. It’s a big, open-minded and cheerful celebration, where a lot of people dress up in a fancy way and take to the streets of the south of Gran Canaria.
For those who want to experience the carnival on the beach, the International Carnival of Maspalomas is the ideal date to enjoy the party at an enviable temperature and next to famous dunes.
This year 2022 the Carnival will be held on a somewhat atypical date: from the 9th to the 19th of June.
Maspalomas Carnival, the festival par excellence in the south of Gran Canaria
Every year, Maspalomas dresses up in a thousand colours, joy, cordiality and tolerance to celebrate its carnival. For almost a week, “rondallas“, “murgas” and “comparsas” (groups of street musicians and musicians) go through the streets of this town in the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, leaving a festive atmosphere in their wake.
Parade
Parades of floats with groups of masks or dancers dressed in the same style that characterizes each one of them, masks representing different real or allegorical characters, as well as fancy dress dances and fun with cotillion, are typical of this date. Imagination has no limits here, as any character or event can be used as a pretext to develop a costume and change identity.
Mogollones
The Maspalomas carnival has its own flavour and a great power of convocation. Here, the fun is guaranteed for a whole week! It’s a carnival in the streets, where hundreds of people congregate at the same time dressed in the most varied costumes and dancing to Latin music in an atmosphere where it’s impossible not to get caught up in the fun. That’s the “mogollones“.
Queen’s Gala
These festivities open with the election of the Carnival Queen, a must in these festivities, followed by the Galas de Elección de la Gran Dama and Reina Infantil (election of children queen). The costumes they wear are unique and spectacular to say the most. On top of that, originality, elegance and spontaneity of the candidates are added.
Drag Gala
The election of the Drag Queen is the most important event. The aspiring drag queens carry the essence of carnival: transgression. They represent freedom, with an overflowing imagination that leads them to wear dizzying heels and wild, psychedelic fantasies.
Burial of the Sardine
The end of the carnival comes with the Burial of the Sardine, after it has been carried agonisingly along the beach, where thousands of tourists join the procession (dressed as doctors and nurses) and watch in amazement as they cry and rescue the sardine from the sea, creating one of the most amusing and improbable scenes of the carnival.
Late in the evening, the second act takes place in the Yumbo Shopping Centre. In front of the dying sardine, the sardine’s last will and testament is read out, taking advantage of the occasion to make some ironic and humorous comments on current affairs. After the last will and testament, there’s a great firework that brings these unique festivities to a close.
Enjoy the International Carnival of Maspalomas in Holidayworld Maspalomas
Picture by Scott Webb on Pexels
To make the most of the carnival in the south of Gran Canaria, visit Holidayworld Maspalomas, the largest leisure and entertainment centre in the Canary Islands.
Here you can experience practically anything you can think of, from riding the best attractions, going bowling in a professional bowling alley, becoming a music star in a karaoke room, deciphering the difficult riddles to get out of an escape room, tasting the best specialities in the world in a gastronomic market and much more.
In short, the Maspalomas Carnival is a real spectacle full of joy, rhythm and dancing. And whether it’s day or night… it’s even better if you wear a costume and makeup!
