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What's on in Las Palmas
January 5th Cabalgata de los Reyes (Procession of the three Holy Kings): This is one of the most popular traditions related to Christmas time, the children receiving their Christmas presents on this day. On the eve of Epiphany, the Three Holy Kings parade on horses – sometimes even on camels – through the streets of Las Palmas accompanied by allegoric cars, especially dedicated to the children throwing sweets to the crowds. The Cabalgata de los Reyes is sometimes also connected with raising of funds for children charity programs.
January – March
Festival de Música de Canarias: Classic music concerts with international orchestras and soloists take place throughout the Canary Islands.
February
Festival de Opera: This is an international opera festival, in which most of the Canary Islands participate, but it is hosted principally in Las Palmas’ Teatro Pérez Daldós.
February/March
Carnival in Las Palmas: The days vary a bit from year to year, but the main celebrations usually take place in February/March. It all starts about nine weeks before Easter with the ‘Sheet Party’, where participants are often dressed with not much more than a sheet. Then follows the competition for the election of the Carnival Queen, who is chosen in a big gala ceremony, one of the highlights of the carnival celebrations, and the election of the Children’s Queen. All big carnival events and parties concentrate around a large open-air stage in the Santa Catalina Park.
During nearly three weeks before the climax celebrations of the final carnival weekend – before Ash Wednesday – Las Palmas is one big party with Latin American music, brass bands, clowns, magicians, acrobats, fireworks and the noisy and colourful fancy-dress parades. The last Friday before Shrove Tuesday, when the Carnival Drag Queen is chosen, is the wildest night of all. The exuberant grand parade, led by the lavishly decorated float of the Carnival Queen, takes place on the following day. It starts in La Isleta und continues for several hours on a set itinerary through the city to the big stage at Santa Catalina Park, ending at midnight with a big fancy-dress party, where everybody joins in.
The Children’s Carnival is dominating the action on Sunday, while on Monday the ‘burial celebrations’, marking the end of the carnival and the beginning of Lent, start with a mock funeral procession featuring a huge papier-mâché sardine being carried through the streets of the city. Finally, everything ends on Shrove Tuesday, when the ‘Burial of the Sardine’ takes place at the beach of Playa de las Canteras, accompanied by bonfires and fireworks. Apart from the inhabitants of the city of Las Palmas and many ‘Canarios’ from other parts of the island, also thousands of tourists are attracted to these much fun and entertainment generating carnival celebrations each year.
June
Festival Internacional de Música Popular: This is a folk music and dance festival with international flavour, where both local and visiting groups are performing.
June 24th
San Juan (St. John’s Day): This day commemorates the foundation of the city of Las Palmas with pagan and Christian rituals and a big party. Bonfires are lit on the beaches on the night of June 24th, the high point of a week of concerts, theatre, dance and sports events.
July
Festival Internacional Canarias Jazz & Mas Heineken: This festival takes place during three weeks in July on all Canary Islands – on Gran Canaria it is staged in Las Palmas – and includes jazz concerts by international musicians.
July 16th
Fiesta de Nuestra Señora del Carmen: This fiesta is held in July, when the Puerto de la Luz harbour, the fishermen and the residents of the district of La Isleta honour their Patron Saint. This great devotion to the Virgin of Carmen attracts each year the biggest crowds ever seen at a procession. On this maritime procession the figure of the Virgin is carried on shoulders from the parish church on board of a boat for her annual trip along the coast off the bay of Las Palmas. One of the elements that deserve special mentioning, are the carpets of fresh flowers in the streets, many of the local residents participating in making them for this special the occasion.
October 6th
Fiesta de la Naval: Taking place in La Isleta district, this event, which is celebrated with a maritime procession, impressive flower decorations and fireworks, commemorates the victory of the island over the attacks of the British admirals Sir Francis Drake and John Hawkins in October 1595.
Mid-October
Romeria de Nuestra Señora de la Luz (Pilgrimage in honour of Our Lady of the Light): This feast is celebrated with a procession of decorated boats at sea to honour the Virgin.
October/November
Festival Internacional de Cine de Las Palmas (International Film Festival of Las Palmas): Gran Canaria’s film festival attracts many international movie stars.
November
Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC): Taking place on the last Sunday in November, this famous rally for yachts, departing from Las Palmas to the Caribbean, attracts many international participants.
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