Annual carnival in the Canary Islands is considered the second best in the world after the one in Brazil. Over 1 million tourists visit Tenerife and Gran Canaria during the three weeks of this event. In this short article, you’ll learn about how the carnival in Tenerife used to be and what it’s like today, where to check the schedule, and which days are the most interesting. There will be plenty of tips and highlights for enjoying your time during the carnival.

Carnival in the Canary Islands: Key Points

Here’s a brief summary of what you need to know about the annual carnival in Tenerife and the Canary Islands:

  • The carnival first took place in the capital of Tenerife – Santa Cruz – in 1605! Yes, there were breaks, periods when the carnival wasn’t held, but since 1962, it’s been an annual event.
  • It’s not just a carnival in the Canary Islands; carnival events take place all over Spain. The concept and program of the carnival are more or less the same everywhere. However, the capital of the Spanish carnival, with the most lavish celebrations, is considered to be the city of Santa Cruz in Tenerife.
  • Every year, the carnival has its own theme, according to which participants make costumes, or at least try to. For example, in 2019, the theme was “Deep Sea,” and in 2022, it was “Science Fiction,” in 2025, “Secrets of Africa.”
carnival in the Canary Islands
This photo was taken from the official carnival website. In 2019, a record was set, with 400 thousand people dancing on the streets of Santa Cruz simultaneously. You can imagine how many people that is.

Interesting to Know:

We all know that the biggest and brightest carnival in the world is in Rio, Brazil. Today, the carnival in Tenerife is considered the second most popular, important, and beautiful in the world after the Brazilian one.

Festive celebrations and costume shows take place on all the islands in all the major towns and villages of the Canaries. But the most lavish events are, of course, the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. All the action unfolds here. There’s an article about major cities and resorts in the Canaries; each of these cities has its own local carnivals.

Several important points:

  • The carnival is held annually in February-March. The date varies and is tied to Easter. To be precise, the carnival ends the day before the beginning of Lent.
  • The carnival lasts almost a month! But all the most interesting things happen in the last two weeks. Each day has its own program. But more on that later. Just know that not all days are interesting for tourists.
  • The official website of the Tenerife Carnival is where you can check the schedule by day, buy tickets, and find all the relevant information: https://carnavaldetenerife.com/
Tenerife Carnival
And this is how the carnival ends – one big party.

All street celebrations and costume parades are free. But you can buy a seat in the front row to get a better view. Usually, a chair along the carnival route costs 2-5 euros.

Important to Know:

In recent years, excluding the coronavirus pandemic, about 1 million tourists have been visiting the carnival in Tenerife! There are even more interesting facts about the Canaries.

Carnival House and Carnival Alley

Even if you visit the islands when the carnival isn’t happening, there are several locations that will help you get closer to the Canarian carnival:

  • Carnival House in Santa Cruz. Open year-round, free for everyone. Lots of costumes from winners of various years. You can even dress up in one of the costumes.
  • Carnival House in Gran Canaria in Las Palmas. The same concept, just a bit simpler and more modest than in Tenerife. Lots of costumes from winners of different years.
best carnival in world
Costumes of carnival winners are displayed for free. This photo specifically was taken in Las Palmas. Just to note, this is only a part of the costume that a carnival participant wears. The entire costume can weigh 100 kg, it varies. But more on that below.

And also, on one of the streets of Santa Cruz, there is a Carnival Alley. Every year, unique tiles are used to create posters honoring the carnival and they’re placed on the pedestrian path. Like the Walk of Fame in Hollywood. By the way, one of the posters was designed by the famous Cesar Manrique.

Carnival Alley tenerife
Carnival in Tenerife: In Santa Cruz, there’s a really cool Carnival Alley. They create these posters every year. In the photo on the right is the Carnival of 1985 and the poster by Cesar Manrique. Those planning to fly to Lanzarote for vacation will definitely get acquainted with the work of this person.

Carnival in Tenerife and Gran Canaria: Schedule and What to Visit

If you want to attend the Carnival in Tenerife, open the official website (the link was provided earlier) a couple of months before the Carnival, and you’ll find a schedule by day. During the carnival, there are many contests, including for children, and many events that take place in concert halls, not all of which may be interesting to tourists. Below, I’ll list the days and events that are the highlights of the Carnival.

Important:

All the main events happen during the last 10 days of the carnival.
  • Gala de Elección de la Reina del Carnaval at the Recinto Ferial – This is the final of the contest and the selection of the carnival queen, essentially a gala concert. It takes place in a concert hall, a huge, colorful show, broadcast live on all channels, where you can vote for the best costume. Tickets sell out well before the Carnival. In fact, from this event at the beginning of the third week (usually Tuesday or Wednesday), the main part of the Carnival begins.
carnival queen tenerife
The Carnival Queen of Tenerife. This is the entire costume. Specifically, this one weighs 150 kg. It’s mounted on a stage, the stage on a car, and in this form, the queen rides through the city in a festive procession. The costume itself weighs 10-15 kg on a woman. The trend is that each year the costumes are becoming larger, heavier, more expensive, and more extravagant.
  • Cabalgata anunciadora at Plaza de la República Dominicana – The opening of the Carnival in Santa Cruz. It’s a cavalcade, in other words, a festive procession through the streets of the city. Usually on the penultimate Friday, starting around 8:00 p.m. In this procession and in all subsequent ones, the carnival queen participates in her costume. The cavalcade takes place 1-3 days after the selection of the Carnival queen.
  • Nifú-Nifá-Fregolinos and Carnaval de Dia – these are daytime festivities and costume parades. Usually, it takes place on the penultimate Sunday. The start of all the festivities is at 11 a.m. Check the program, as Nifú-Nifá-Fregolinos takes place in one of the city’s squares, and the parade starts elsewhere, but usually everything is very close.
    • This daytime parade is one of the most popular events for those who want to visit the Carnival.
  • Entierro de la Sardina (Burial of the Sardine) – a satirical and humorous event with a significant history. It usually takes place in the evening on the last Wednesday before the end of the carnival. Read more about the Burial of the Sardine in the section below. I recommend attending it. It takes place on the streets of the city.
  • On the last Saturday and Sunday, there are festivities and celebratory processions through the city streets and the closing of the Carnival. On Saturday, the daytime Carnival starts at 1 p.m., and the concert and everything gradually transition into the Sunday Carnival closing with fireworks.
tenerife carnival costumes
Here’s how the murgas (carnival groups) look during the Carnival and the procession during the opening. Note the chairs in the front row on the left in the photo; these seats need to be purchased, they are not expensive. Standing spots are free.

Which days of the Carnival are best to attend:

If you want to see the costumed procession through the city, the carnival queen, murgas (performances and dances by participants), then you should definitely go to Cabalgata anunciadora – the carnival opening. Another important event is the Burial of the Sardine. And if you just want to party: alcohol flowing, music, and party – that’s on the last Saturday and Sunday for the Carnival closing. On other days, there are also interesting processions, but there are fewer people and the scale is more modest, but dressed-up tourists party around the clock throughout the last week of the carnival. Everyone watches the selection of the Carnival queen on TV.

Burial of the Sardine (Entierro de la Sardina)

The Burial of the Sardine is a satirical and humorous procession through the streets of Santa Cruz.

Brief History:

Usually, the Burial of the Sardine takes place 3-4 days before the end of the Carnival, the day after which Lent begins. Alcohol and meat cannot be consumed, and many other things are restricted until Easter. Only fish is allowed. The Canarians are not big fans of fish, and there aren’t many fish dishes in traditional cuisine. So they started this humorous procession to “bury the sardine,” to end Lent faster. About the cuisine of the Canary Islands and what a tourist should try.
carnival gran canaria
This is how the Burial of the Sardine looks. They burn it after the entire funeral procession.

What the event looks like today: a huge figure of a sardine made of paper, cardboard, wood is carried in a symbolic “coffin” through the streets of the city. A procession of “widows” follows the “sardine,” who then bury it. To add a bit of satire, historically it’s always been men in women’s clothing. They walk slowly behind the “sardine,” loudly wailing, mourning its death. In the end, the “sardine” is burned in one of the city squares.

Usually, the event takes place late in the evening on the last Wednesday. It’s an interesting tradition, and I recommend attending it if possible.

Travel Tips

And now, the whole truth about the Carnival and what awaits you today. Many tourists fly here and expect a celebration, vibrant emotions, magic, but there are also pitfalls:

  • On Tenerife, 1 million tourists fly in for the Carnival. Even in the peak summer season, sometimes there are fewer people. Parking lots are full, rental cars are scarce, and if available, they’re twice as expensive. Accommodation also hikes up in price specifically for Carnival dates. Tip: book everything in advance, or you’ll be biting your elbows and overpaying significantly. Don’t wait until the last minute.
  • In the center of Tenerife, there’s heavy traffic, main streets are closed off, and overall, during the days of Carnival processions and festivities in Santa Cruz and Las Palmas, it’s chaotic – not just crowded, but absolutely packed with people. It’s better not to drive into the city center by car.
  • Keep in mind that the Carnival comes with one big party. Everyone’s drunk, everywhere’s a mess, with rivers of urine, trash – that’s all in Santa Cruz. In small towns where local carnivals take place, everything is much more civilized.
carnival in tenerife
By 9 a.m. during any day of the carnival, the streets of Santa Cruz are filled with tourists. Most of the time, they’re either already drunk or still drinking.

In conclusion: Carnival in the Canary Islands, especially in Tenerife, rightfully belongs to the topmost vibrant carnivals worldwide. Visiting and seeing it all with your own eyes is a must. The key is to choose the right day and book everything in advance because during this time, crowds of tourists from all over the world flock to Tenerife, and you’ll be one of them.

Useful links to help you plan your dream trip to Canary Islands:

  • Car Rental: LocalRent or DiscoverCars – the most popular car rental platforms.

  • Accommodation:
    • Trip.com – the largest accommodation booking platform.

    • or TripAdvisor – to compare prices among other platforms and choose the best one.

  • Budget-friendly vacation packages to Spain and Canary Islands: CheapOair.

  • Tours and activities: GetYourGuide or Viator – hundreds of offers, whales and dolphins, entrance tickets with discounts.

  • eSIM and internet: Airalo.

  • Flights: WayAway compares prices among dozens of companies.

  • Travel Insurance: EKTA.