Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival 2024

In February the famous Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria was celebrated with a multitude of events, from body paint contests, dog parade to the most important and expected events of this festival. A celebration that has lasted 2 weeks and has attracted hundreds of thousands of people with glitter, feathers and costumes to the capital of the island.

This festival, which the Canary Islanders from all the islands look forward to every year, has hosted different galas that have left us speechless and spectators in awe of the display of the participating groups.

First, we danced to the rhythm of batucadas and bright colours in the Comparsas contest, which was marred by the slippery floor, but still, the participants did not stop filling the square with son and tumbao. From this gala they all came out winners with a cheque for 3000€ as the jury understood that the state of the stage did not allow the groups to show off as they wanted to, and how could they choose a winner if they all made us move our hips! Even so, the Costume prizes were also awarded to Baracoa, Kisamba and Lianceiros. 

The day after, we enjoyed the eagerly awaited Final of Murgas Contest (the previous phases had been held weeks before with a total of 20 groups) with 8 groups dressed in costumes that to the rhythm of whistles criticised with mischievous lyrics the current situation of the islands, politics and current affairs. The prizes were fairly evenly distributed, being the following:

• Interpretation Awards:
  • Los Nietos de SaryManchez
  • Legañosos
  • Serenquenquenes
• Costume Awards for which all the murgas were eligible:
  • Despistadas
  • Legañosos
  • Serenquenquenes

Still humming the catchy lyrics of the murgeros, we woke up on Sunday to celebrate the Gala for the election of the Gran Dama del Carnaval de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Our six hopefuls paraded across the Belén María stage in costumes by Canarian designers full of colour and feathers. This eye-catching show left Eva Costa as the winner, followed by Carmen Rosa Toledo and Teresa Santana.

After an intense weekend of events, we had to wait until Friday 9th to meet our Carnival Queen: Katia Gutiérrez with the fantasy El Tesoro de Midas (Midas' Treasure) won the sceptre handed over by Lola Ortiz; current queen of Carnival 2023. Andrea Franco, Suadu Sene, Leysi Us and Lola Dávila became her bridesmaids. A spectacle full of glitter, feathers, spectacular dresses and a stage show worthy of being admired that left not only the 5000 people who gathered in the square speechless but also the millions of spectators who followed the gala from their homes. 

Before taking to the streets in our costumes, we cannot forget the long awaited and eagerly awaited Drag Queen Gala that took place on Friday 16th. Platforms, lively music, colour, spectacle, costumes and transformation: a gala of vindication. This is how we could define the essence of Drag in the islands, without a doubt, hundreds of thousands of people were unable to leave their seats watching the almost impossible choreographies of our drag queens, with pirouettes and 25 centimetre platforms on which they performed. After a pre-selection of 23 Drags, Drag Elektra (Iván Sánchez) won the first prize with his fantasy Los Carnavales del Mundo (World's Carnival) and the allegory Tiene narices la cosa, dressed as Pinocchio; a costume that would not last long as he ended up without clothes and with a spectacular headdress of silver colours that did not prevent him from performing the jumps and twerking of his choreography. She was accompanied on the podium by Drag Ácrux, Drag Ármek, Drag Inkill and Drag Lemnos. But we can't forget that Drag Elektra's happiness didn't end like that: still immersed in the emotion of his victory, his partner proposed to him in front of all the spectators and other drags at the gala. What a way to be crowned!

With the hangover still in the body, we were left with the final climax: Gran Cabalgata del Carnaval de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. A parade through the city in which different floats parade from 17:00h with decorations, music and food, followed by mascaritas (masqueraders).  It is here, where the royalty of our carnival comes face to face with the Canarian people, being the first to start our parade aboard vintage cars and moving platforms. Thousands of kilos of glitter and feathers have filled the streets of the capital, in a party that undoubtedly leaves us looking forward to the Carnival of 2025. Will you join us?