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What's on around the Island
January 6th Dia de los Reyes (Three Holy Kings Day):
The Three Holy Kings are celebrated all over the island, but in Agüimes in particular, where the eve of Epiphany is marked by a street parade, during which the Three Wise Men distribute Christmas gifts to the children of the town.
January/February
Soccer Tournament: Mostly European clubs on winter training camps in Gran Canaria participate in this tournament, taking place in Maspalomas.
February
Fiesta del Almendro en Flor (Festival of Almond Blossom): This fiesta takes place early February when the almond trees are in bloom. Celebrated on a grand scale in the towns of Tejeda and Valsequillo, this festival is also a good opportunity to taste the local produce, such as almond wines and sweets, and to enjoy classic folk dancing and singing.
February/March
Carnival around the island:
In Gran Canaria, carnival is celebrated almost at every corner of the island, but the most famous and most exuberant carnival activities are those of Las Palmas, San Bartolomé, Maspalomas, Agüimes, Agaete and Telde, each of these towns’ carnival festivities having its own trademark.
Some very keen revellers start with their carnival celebrations at the end of January, with the beginning of Shrovetide, following the festivities around the island and only stop, when their physical capacities are exhausted.
There are no limits regarding the costumes, so free rein is given to imagination and any personage or thing can serve as a pretext for a blunt masquerade or prank.
The various carnival celebrations in the municipalities are more than just popular festivals, they are great shows with extensive programmes of activities and festivities, generally starting with an opening speech (pregón), full of humour and irony (if you understand the language). Then, during the weeks leading to the climax celebration of the last carnival weekend – before Ash Wednesday – follow the competitions for the ‘murgas’ (typical amateur carnival bands), ‘comparsas’ (Brazilian-like amateur carnival dancers) and music groups, mixed with many other events like song contests, comedy shows, etc. etc.
In general, carnival ends with the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, but further down south, like in Playa del Inglés, it continues with another weekend of processions and parties mainly around the Yumbo Centre.
March/April
Holy Week: During the Semana Santa – the week before Easter – you will be able to see solemn pre-Easter processions, where sacred icons and religious statues are carried through the streets of many villages and towns throughout the island.
April
Rally El Corte Inglés: This is Gran Canaria’s biggest car rally, attracting many international competitors.
April 29th
Fiesta de los Aborigines (Fiesta of the Aborigines): This feast day marks the final uprising of the Guanches against the Spanish and the annexation of Gran Canaria by the Crown of Castile in 1483, with big ceremonies taking place at Fortaleza Grande near Santa Lucia as well as music and dancing events.
April 30th – May 7th
Fiesta del Queso del Flor (Festival of the ‘Flower Cheese’): The small town of Santa Maria de Guia celebrates the making of its famous cheese speciality with traditional music and dancing and lots of cheese eating.
May 1st
Feria del Caballo (Horse Market): Being held in Valsequillo, this is an important annual horse market with agricultural exposition.
May 30th
Dia de las Islas Canarias (The Canary Islands’ Day): On the ‘Canary Islands Day’ the emphasis is on the expression of popular culture, such as wrestling, stick fighting and folk-dancing displays.
Late May/early June
Corpus Christi (Body of Christ Day): Although of a very different nature, the feast of Corpus Christi comes in its importance throughout the Canary Islands right after the carnival celebrations. As an act of showing their religious devotion in this time, people decorate streets and squares with beautiful carpets made of flowers, grasses and coloured sand. These carpets often also mark the route for the processions. Las Palmas sees the most outstanding flower decorations and the most colourful procession, but many other towns and villages throughout the island also celebrate the Feast of Body of Christ with processions and other traditional activities.
July 16th
Fiesta del Carmen: The Virgin Mary, patron saint of all fishermen, is honoured in all ports, but especially in Arguineguin, Puerto de Mogán, Puerto de la Aldea and Gáldar, where celebrations can last up to one week. Statues of the Virgin are taken out to sea in processions of decorated boats.
August 4th
Bajada de la Rama (Bringing down the Branches): This colourful fiesta, one of the oldest on the island, has its roots in the Guanches’ rain dance and is held in Agaete and Puerto de las Nieves. Villagers carry pine branches from the mountains down to the sea and thrash the waves with them in an effort to bring rain.
September
Encuentro Internacional Tres Continentes (International Theatre Festival of Three Continents): Being held in Agüimes each year, this is a very attractive international theatre festival with performances of European, Latin American and African groups.
September 6th - 8th
Pilgrimage to Nuestra Señora de la Virgen del Pino in Teror: The Canary Islands’ biggest religious feast to honour the Virgin of the Pine, the patron saint of the Canary Islands. Pilgrims from all over Gran Canaria converge in Teror, and offer fresh produce to the patron saint in a big evening procession. Gran Canaria’s biggest popular religious festival is a mixture of religious rituals with worldly fun.
September 7th – 11th
Fiesta del Charco (Festival of the Lagoon): The origins of this fiesta, one of the oldest on Gran Canaria, are not known, but thought to date back to pre-Hispanic times. It is held in Puerto de la Aldea, municipality of San Nicolás de Tolentino. Traditional rituals include villagers wading fully dressed in the lagoon, trying to catch fish with their bare hands and splashing each other with water. There are also wrestling matches and stick-fighting competitions.
October 5th
Fiesta de la Virgen del Rosario (Festival of Our Lady of the Rosary): A traditional festival held in Agüimes, with Canarian wrestling, stick fights, plough-pulling contests, a battle with flowers, folk dancing and singing and scattering of water and gofio.
October (2nd Saturday)
Fiestas de la Naval (Festival of the Sea): Maritime processions in Las Palmas and other ports commemorate the victory of the Spanish Armada over the British explorer Sir Francis Drake in 1595.
December 13th
Dia de Santa Lucia: This Swedish winter festival combines Scandinavian with Canary traditions and is celebrated in Las Palmas with a week of street parties. Churches and villages all over the island are illuminated for this celebration.
December 25th
Navidad: The village of Veneguera (near Mogán) is the stage for a popular nativity play on Christmas evening.
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Carnival Queen in Las Palmas
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Carnival Drag Queen in Las Palmas
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Children's Carnival
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Carnival spirit in Las Palmas
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NOTE
There are so many fiestas happening around the island, you would be very unlucky if you didn’t come across at least one or two while touring the island - especially if you're coming in summer time!
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