Tenerife Carnival 2021 is Cancelled | See you in Santa Cruz in 2022

The carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the largest event of this kind happening in the Canary Islands and in Spain as well. It is actually the second largest carnival in the world and it is considered by many the best carnival, with the best atmosphere and friendly street parties. 

Unfortunately, in 2021, the island of Tenerife will not be able to celebrate its beloved carnival. 

Tenerife Carnival 2021 is SUSPENDED.

The carnival usually lasts for several weeks, but the first weeks are usually dedicated to indoor events and competitions where the queen of the carnival is elected. The last part of the carnival is when the outdoor parties happen, the big parade and also the burning and burial of the sardine.

So the usual street parties and events on the streets of Santa Cruz de Tenerife will be suspended in 2021. The mayor of Santa Cruz has announced that they will organize a tribute Gala that will be televised in order to maintain the spirit of the carnival alive until the next edition.

The mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife explained that the sanitary circumstances don't allow for the usual celebration of the events in the free manner like the people are used to. The main attraction of the carnival in Tenerife derives from its notorious street parties and no one would understand a carnival without them.

“Therefore - he continued - Santa Cruz de Tenerife will not celebrate the next edition of Carnival in the way we have been used to celebrating it for 60 years. We cannot celebrate it in the same way as always with thousands of people from here and abroad ”.

Tenerife Carnival 2021 Poster

"A Night of Carnivals of the World" has been chosen as the official poster for the 2021 Carnival by popular vote, out of the 33 proposals that were initially submitted to the contest called by the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council. The winning poster was created by Sandro Morales Burcio, who is from Extremadura, although he now lives in La Laguna.

The mayor of Santa Cruz pointed out that “we already said at the time of the cancelation that we were going to try to keep the carnival flames burning". In addition, the mayor commented that “by keeping actions such as choosing the Carnival poster, what we want is for all of us to keep Tenerife's Carnival in people's minds and to focus all our desire on the year 2022".

How to Celebrate the Carnival in Tenerife

The first thing you need to understand about the carnival if that this is a big celebration, comprised of several types of events, which take place over the duration of a month. 

For example, at first, you have several events for the Election of the Tenerife Carnival Queen, then you have an Opening Parade (Announcement Parade), several days of street parties in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, followed by the big Carnival Parade (Coso de Carnaval) and the Burial of the Sardine. 

If you want to celebrate like the locals, then you have to participate in at least one night of carnival party and at least one Daytime Carnival in Santa Cruz, also known as the Sábado de Piñata.

The Daytime Carnival is the event that draws the largest crowds of people to Santa Cruz de Tenerife, to celebrate the carnival all day long - it is estimated that in 2019, there were 400 000 people celebrating the carnival on the streets of Santa Cruz, which would mean a world record for the largest gathering of people watching a concert in a public square.

Tenerife Carnival Queen

The carnival in Tenerife usually has several candidates for the title of Carnival Queen, for all three categories: Carnival Queen - the phase for Young adults, candidates for Elderly Queen and candidates for the kids' Queen.

Schedule of Events for Tenerife Carnival

 The most important events happen on the streets when the big parties take place and the city center of Santa Cruz comes to life every day and night with music and dancing.  

Main Events at the Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

• The big Carnival Parade in Santa Cruz de Tenerife
• Burial of the Sardine - Entierro de la Sardina
• Daytime Carnival / Carnaval de Dia

Friday

• Inaugural Gala Tenerife Carnival 2021
• Time: 21:30 h
• Location: Plaza Alisios (next to Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín)

Thursday 

• 1st Phase of Competition for Murgas Infantiles
• Time: 19:00 h
• Where: Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos

Friday

• 2nd Phase of the Competition for Murgas Infantiles
• Time: 19:00 h
• Where: Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos

Saturday 

• 3rd Phase of the Competition for Murgas Infantiles
• Time: 19:00 h
• Where: Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos

Sunday 

• Choreographic Festival
• Time: 17:00 h
• Where: Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos

Monday 

• 1st Phase of the Competition for Murgas Adultas
• Time: 20:30 h
• Where: Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos

Tuesday 

• 2nd Phase of the Competition for Murgas Adultas
• Time: 20:30 h
• Where: Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos

Wednesday 

• 3rd Phase of the Competition for Murgas Adultas
• Time: 20:30 h
• Where: Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos

Friday 

• The final of the Competition for Murgas Adultas
• Time: 20:30 h
• Where: Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos

Saturday 

• Competition for Musical Groups
• Time: 20:00 h
• Where: Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos

Sunday

• Gala for the Election of the Kids Queen
• Time: 18:00 h
• Where: Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos

Wednesday 

• Gala for the Election of the Carnival Queen
• Time: 17:30 h
• Where: Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos

Friday 

• Competition La Canción de la Risa
• Time: 20:30 h
• Where: Teatro Guimerá

Saturday 

• Competition of Comparsas
• Time: 20:00 h
• Where: Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos

Sunday 

• Festival de Rondallas
  • Time: 17:00 h
  • Location: Auditorio de Tenerife
• Costume Competition
  • Time: 11:00h
  • Location: Centro Internacional de Ferias y Congresos

Tuesday

• Concert of the Group Lírico Musical Los Fregolinos
• Time: 20:30 h
• Where: Teatro Guimerá

Wednesday 

Election of Tenerife's Carnival Queen

• Gala for the Election of the Carnival Queen
• Time: 21:30 h
• Where: Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos
• You can also watch the Gala on TV or Facebook, transmitted live

Thursday 

• Festival de La Zarzuela
• Time: 20:30 h
• Where: Teatro Guimerá

Street Carnival in Santa Cruz (Carnaval en la Calle)

These are the events that happen on the streets of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and they are actually the heart and soul of the carnival, with big street parties where large crowds of people come together to celebrate the joy of the carnival.

Friday 

Saturday 

Sunday 

Monday 

Tuesday 16/02/2021

Wednesday 

Thursday 

Friday 

Saturday 

Sunday 

Tenerife Carnival theme

Each year the carnival has a different theme, which is selected by online popular vote by the public. In 2021 the theme was supposed to be Carnivals of the World (Carnavales del Mundo), but since the 2021 carnival is now suspended, we will have to wait and see if they will selecte another theme for the next edition.

What to do in Tenerife - Our recommendations

Costume ideas for Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival

Wondering what to wear to the carnival in Tenerife?

Most of the participants to the carnival in Tenerife will be wearing a costume, and it is highly advisable that you get one as well! It doesn't have to be anything fancy or complicated, a simple wig with some funny sunglasses or a hat will do. 

Most of the locals will be dressed in costumes during the street parties, so if you want to blend in, you should try to be prepared. A lot of Chinese shops and supermarkets will sell different types of costumes during the carnival season, so it will not be difficult to find something simple and cheap.

During the parades, people don't tend to come dressed in costumes, but they will definitely be wearing costumes during streets parties like the Daytime carnival.

The Burial of the Sardine is another special day when participants come dressed up as "widows" of the sardine, mourning the poor sardine. So, if you want to be prepared, wear something black, like a black dress (men and women alike!), a veil and even a hat. This event tends to have sexual connotations, so don't be surprised when you see some extravagant costumes on the streets of Santa Cruz!

Our impressions of Tenerife Carnival

We have been to the big Carnival of Tenerife in 2019 and we must admit that we had a better time than we expected.

Since we are not big fans of large crowd gatherings, we thought that we would not enjoy the experience, but we're glad to say that we were wrong and that we absolutely loved every minute of the carnival in Tenerife!

We first went to the Announcement Parade, which took place on a Friday evening and then continued throughout the night with a big party. At this event, there were mostly locals and very few tourists, so it's a good opportunity to see the authentic atmosphere of the Tenerife Carnival. 

Although we were a bit afraid of the big crowds, we must say that there was ample space since the parade goes through several long boulevards, so you can pick a less crowded spot along the way. 

Regarding safety, although there was a lot of drinking involved, we must say that we never felt unsafe, as there were a lot of Police present everywhere and people were generally friendly, with everyone minding their own business. This might not be the case on every night of the carnival in Tenerife, but we never felt unsafe while we were there.

We went to all the different stages in the city centre, which had different types of music and atmosphere, but we preferred the vibe in Plaza de la Candelaria.

We really liked the Opening parade of the carnival in Tenerife and we would recommend it to anyone (although the big parade before Ash Wednesday is larger and much more popular).

Honestly, the carnival in Santa Cruz was so much fun and we are planning to return for another edition since we did not get to attend in all the events and we'd also like to come better prepared with costumes next time!

Tenerife Carnival Hospital (First Aid)

You must know that there is a big carnival hospital set-up close to the main area of the carnival, so in case you feel sick you can ask around about directions. We were impressed to see how big this area was and it's a good thing that they are able to provide immediate assistance to people who need it. 

Transport - How to get around the carnival

Most of the city centre will be blocked and closed to car traffic, so we would advise you to avoid coming by car in the centre area. Instead, you can use public transport and we have a dedicated article for how to get around the carnival in Santa Cruz.

Coming to the island for the big Carnival and wondering how the weather will be?

Read more about Tenerife in February, including info about temperatures and what clothes you should bring with you.

Find the best place to stay in Tenerife when planning your holiday during the carnival. There are lots of nice Airbnbs in Santa Cruz if you want to be there for just a few days while the big events are taking place. Use our Airbnb code when you create your new account and you will get a discount to use for your first booking.

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