When is tenerife carnival 2018

The Santa Cruz de Tenerife carnival has begun! Considered one of the best Carnivals in the world, it was declared a Festival of International Tourist Interest in and it is, undoubtedly, one of the most anticipated events on the island. The FIRST celebrations of Carnival this year begin with the contests of the Murgas and the musical groups; these begin on Thursday January 18th; but the key dates of the Carnival, those where everyone goes out into the streets to have fun and live it are:.

Do you want to join in the fun? Well, make your reservation and prepare your suitcases. Choose your destination at GF Hoteles and enjoy one of the most important winter celebrations in the world.

The theme of the Tenerife Carnival in was up for public voting until 31 march So let your fantasy go wild and bring your craziest suit for this amazing event in Tenerife! The City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has opened now the online public voting for the carnival's poster and you can choose the proposal that you like best. His poster illustrates beautifully the theme for this year - La Fantasia and will be representing the events in the month to come.

This is one of the best parts of the carnival for many of the participants. The celebration starts with a giant sardine that is followed by a funeral parade of men in drag. At the end of the parade the sardine is put on fire, in a show that is both mesmerizing and bizarre, a unique experience for the participants. Apart from these main events, there are other celebrations during this period, both in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and in Puerto de la Cruz. The Carnival in Tenerife is the second largest carnival after the one in Rio de Janeiro and it's certainly the biggest and most important event in the Canary Islands.

From start to finish the carnival lasts more than a month and this year the festivities will start less than a week after the celebration of the Three Magic Kings. Most of the towns and resorts in Tenerife are also celebrating with their own carnival, but these events will be announced at a later time. Leaving before 4am is too early as well. The burial of the sardine is one of the oldest traditions and is held on the last day of the carnival. A giant paper sardine is carried through the carnival by dancers dressed as nuns, bishops and priests representing a funeral march.

The big fish-shaped effigy is then burnt as sacrifice for the coming Lent celebrations. Each year more than , people descend onto the pretty capital city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife for the carnival and in , it was made a Tourist Festival of International Interest by the Secretary of State for Tourism.

Going by car is not a good idea. You are way too optimistic if you have any hopes of finding a parking space in Santa Cruz during Carnival. The only reasonable option is getting there by bus — unless you are willing to pay for a private parking garage or a taxi.

Once you arrive in Santa Cruz, just follow the mass of dressed up people.