Arrecife is the capital of Lanzarote and it's quite a busy town, where not many tourists venture during their holidays.
But the carnival in Arrecife is a large and animated event, popular among locals and a great way to experience a night of fiesta among the island's residents.
The carnival is organized each year usually between the months of February and March and lasts for around 2 weeks. There are several events organized throughout this period, from the usual parade to the Burning of the Sardine and if you're in Lanzarote during this time we recommend that you attend the party if you have the occasion (or you can participate in some of the other carnivals in Lanzarote, if it's more convenient to you). The carnival in Arrecife usually starts first and then the festivals in the resorts will follow.
During the carnival events, Arrecife becomes a colorful town and each year you can see lots of colorful costumes and a wonderful display of comparsas - organized groups, which put in play a really interesting parade, according to each year's theme.
In 2022, due to the sixth wave of Covid, the City Council of Arrecife has decided to delay the celebration of the capital's Carnival until March, specifically between the dates of March 11 and March 23, after it was initially planned to happen between February 18 and March 2.
The theme for the 2022 carnival in Arrecife will be "Cinema".
"We want to be cautious in the face of the health situation and that is why it has been decided, with the corresponding technical advice, to delay the start of the Carnival, but we intend to keep all the events planned in this year's program", according to Mayor of Arrecife, Astrid Pérez.
The intention of the City Council is to maintain the planned program of events, including the Daytime Carnival, the different exhibitions, contests and those events dedicated to children and families.