Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival: 2021 edition is Suspended

Gran Canaria has announced that the 2021 edition of the carnival in Las Palmas will be suspended, as there is no safe way to celebrate the carnival during the pandemic.

The carnival in Gran Canaria's capital is usually a great time to visit the city, as it becomes vibrant and full of color, during the many days and nights while the carnival is celebrated.

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival 2021

The world of Carnival will have to wait until 2022 for the celebration of another edition in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The Carnival department works on a series of acts that, throughout 2021, will keep the essence of the party alive.

What can you expect from the carnival in Las Palmas?

Although there will be no carnival in Las Palmas in 2021, everyone hopes that by next year things will start to recover a sense of normality, and this fun fiesta will be celebrated again on the streets of Gran Canaria's capital.

In this article, we will present the carnival the way it's usually celebrated, as a multiple-day event that is celebrated on the streets with large crowds and parties. 

See the usual schedule, what sort of events are part of the carnival and what you can expect from future editions.

Main events for the carnival in Las Palmas

• Adult Costume Competition 
• Vegueta Carnival
• Canine Carnival and Kid's Gala 
• Queen Gala
• Daytime Carnival in Triana
• Children's parade 
• Traditional Carnival and Drag Queen Gala
• Carnival Tuesday. Daytime Carnival in Santa Catalina
• The Social Integration Gala
• Body Makeup Contest
• Big Carnival Parade in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, followed by Carnival Night
• The Burial of the Sardine
  

Regarding the daytime carnivals, the traditional carnival and the carnival in the sun are usually celebrated as follows: carnival by day in Vegueta, on Saturday, daytime carnival in Santa Catalina on Sunday; family carnival in Triana and carnival in the sun, both next Saturday; family day carnival on next Sunday; traditional carnival on Monday and daytime carnival in Santa Catalina, on Tuesday.

On the last Sunday, the city of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria usually says goodbye to the Carnival with the traditional burial of the sardine and the subsequent fireworks show. 

The Carnival is usually the largest winter event in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria as it's normally celebrated during the tourist high season. 

• Best things to do in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

More than forty acts make up an extensive program of three weeks of celebrations, some of the most important being: the Drag Queen Gala and its Pre-selection (one of the most followed events worldwide), the Queen's Gala, the murgas contests, comparsas, corporal makeup or costumes, the Canine Carnival (which in 2020 has celebrated its 11th edition, and which has enjoyed great popular acceptance and a notorious presence of tourists), its horseback riding, its children's carnival and the daytime carnival in the surroundings of Santa Catalina or the historic center of Vegueta.

The Santa Catalina Park, between the Cruise Ship Pier and Las Canteras Beach, is the nerve center of the main acts of the program, which take place in a large outdoor setting exclusively for the occasion, set in the allegory chosen to every edition. This scenario is in itself one of the main attractions of a party that gathers more than half a million people each year in its celebrations.

If you're on the island during the carnival season, you can also read more about Gran Canaria Carnivals - a page where we gather info about all the island's carnivals.