Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival 2022: No street parties this year

The 2022 carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria began to take its first steps towards the next edition, with the choice of its theme. "La Tierra" (The Earth) prevailed over the other two options at stake: "Las Vegas" and "Disco Pop", by achieving the majority support of the juries.

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: 25 February - 20 March 2022

The theme for the 2022 edition was already chosen and it's "La Tierra" (The Earth). 

The 2022 carnival in Las Palmas was supposed to start on February 11th but it was announced that the start will be delayed by two weeks due to the current wave of the pandemic.

The initial dates were 11 February - 6 March 2022.

What can you expect from the carnival in Las Palmas in 2022?

No street parties at the 2022 carnival in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

The Canary Islands are currently experiencing a surge in new Covid-19 cases, much like the rest of the world, so it was announced that this year the city of Las Palmas will not celebrate the carnival with the usual street parties. Instead, the only events that will take place will be the ones where there is no risk of forming large crowds and where the safety measures can be respected. 

So the 2022 edition of the carnival events, celebrated between February 25 and March 20, will be limited to the galas organized in Santa Catalina park, which will have capacity control and will require the presentation of the covid certificate.

What's the carnival usually like in Las Palmas?

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.