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Tenerife Carnival 2022 – postponed to june
Tenerife Carnival is second only to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil! It is famous all over the world for its colourful and vibrant celebrations and parties. We missed it for the last couple of years, which is really unheard of, considering the fact that since it was established in 1925, only the civil war and the dictatorship had managed to suspend it. Since it was declared a Celebration of International Tourist Interest in 1980, Tenerife’s Carnival has become the world’s second most popular carnival, thanks to its flamboyance, the quality of its contests, street parties and concerts, and the authenticity of its street vibe. Not even the legendary calima episode in 2020 kept the drums silent.
And now, it is BACK! And this time, unlike the traditional calendar scheduling, February – March, we get to celebrate the carnival in JUNE, summertime! The dates foreseen for its celebration are still to be confirmed, but the authorities specified it would take place between June 4 and June 26. The celebration of the most representative Festival of the capital of Tenerife in summer is a novelty, but we hope that an improved rate of incidence of the coronavirus will enable street parties and outdoor events.
The carnival usually lasts several weeks, but the programme is not available yet, so we can´t tell which event will be celebrated on each day. However, the events in the streets of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, including the usual popular day and night parties, the Cabalgata Anunciadora and the competition of Ritmo y Armonía will take place between June 23 and June 26.
A surprise will be revealed during the night of June 23, considered to be the starting signal for the Carnival 2022. On Friday, June 24, the Carnival will again take to the streets of Santa Cruz with the Cabalgata Anunciadora, which will give way to the different night parties on the rhythms of the Canary orchestras.
On Saturday, June 25, the Day Carnival will be held, which will give way to the second night of dancing in the street. On Sunday, June 26, in addition to another day of the Day Carnival, the Rhythm and Harmony contest will take place.
Most of the events at Tenerife Carnival are free to attend. Most of the parties occur on the streets and there are loads of open-air free concerts. If you want to watch some of the competitions, then you will need tickets for those. The Crowning of the Carnival Queen is a popular ticketed event and you must purchase a ticket early.
This year´s theme is Carnaval Sci-Fi: past, present, future.
You absolutely must dress up for carnival in Tenerife! Otherwise, you may be the odd one out. People go all out for their costumes in fact so much so that some locals will have 5 or 6 costumes every carnival for different events and will even go home and change between festivities. The characters of the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife are a symbol of the festival. Their charm and familiarity are a constant presence and they have won, over the years, the affection of the public. We have learned that some of them are so popular that the local public look up for them every year. Behind each mask or costume, we find people who authentically embody the tradition of the mask (the carnival one, not the one we´ve got used to for the last 2 years).
However, if they are just assisting or watching the parades, most locals won’t dress up. It’s mainly for the street parties. Many people may just pop on a wig, mask or funny hat, but you’ll have no reason to feel self-conscious when you will be surrounded by Cleopatras, superheroes, clowns, animals, Disney characters etc.
Lots of people dress up in the carnival theme however you can wear whatever you like.
You may not know this, but with every carnival edition, the preparations start a long time in advance. From the inscriptions for the dance or music groups to deciding on the theme and the poster. The 2022 winning poster of the Carnaval de Tenerife was a local artist, known as ‘Bejo’, who explained the set of elements of the poster as “typical of the theme of this year, in which I have tried to make a piece as harmonious as possible”.
The work, designed in digital format with graphic tablet is an allegory of the Tenerife Carnival in 200 years. In the composition there is an explosion of colours and elements related to the local traditions and popular iconography, set in the literature and cinematography of science fiction. The central element is the head of a cyborg, where the artist merges the human with the machine; around it different fantastic references intermingle, alluding to the city of Santa Cruz and the world of science fiction from a playful perspective.
Even the Queen of Carnival is elected before the street events and many present their candidacies in one of the 3 groups. Each year a Queen and her court of honour are elected in three categories: children, adults and seniors. Popularly, the Gala of Election of the Queen of the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is considered as the starting signal to celebrate the party in the street.
The Gala is the show with the greatest projection inside and outside the islands. The creativity of the fantasies and the presence of all the groups in the different galas make this event one of the highlights of the Carnival. This year, the Science Fiction Carnival queen contests will feature 11 adult queen candidates, 11 child queen candidates and 8 senior queen candidates.
And if you are still not convinced that this is a party in many acts, hang around for the final event, ENTIERRO DE LA SARDINA – Burial of the Sardine.
Every beginning has an end, and for the Carnival of Tenerife the end comes with its original Burial of the Sardine. It is the moment when tears and sobs invade the streets of the capital of Tenerife, in a particular cavalcade of widows and mourners who, with a great sense of humour, are reluctant to say goodbye to the parties.
This particular burial, which has been celebrated since the 19th century every Ash Wednesday, is headed by a large sardine, which will be burned at the end of the route, symbolizing the end of the feast of Don Carnal.
It is then, with the smell of smoke in the air, when the carnival-goers look forward to the second and last weekend of celebration in the streets, known as Piñata, where they will savour the last hours of the festival.
So many great things about the carnival, both to live it and learn about it. If you are visiting Santa Cruz de Tenerife, you can learn more about the festivities and see for yourself some of the costumes, hear the rhythm and even try on some outfits in the House of Carnival – Casa del Carnaval. This is a lovely place to spend an hour or so and get to know this amazing carnival even if you can´t make it to the original event. The Carnival House is a milestone in the way we understand the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife which has been declared a “Festival of International Tourist Interest”.
The space is equipped with a permanent exhibition with costumes and outstanding elements from the Carnival, a multipurpose room, which facilitates temporary exhibitions and presentations of all kinds; a centre for documentation and research of Carnival heritage: aimed at experts, journalists, students and researchers; a space for workshops and interactive activities, always related to the party; a cafeteria and a store.
The visit to the Carnival House will undoubtedly be a unique experience, thanks to the various digital applications that allow visitors to feel and live the festival from the inside, including costume testing.
The authorities are also planning to implement a self-guided tourist route of the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife with intelligent signage. So, there will be even more opportunities to experience the Carnival of Tenerife.
Check out the schedule below and see you in JUNE!!! 🙂
And, while you are around, why not try other activities in Tenerife? One of the most relaxing things to do in a vacation would be whales and dolphins watching. You can choose a boat tour from the many boats that offer tours around the island.
Or maybe, if you are an adrenaline seeker you can choose some attractions from here. We have a great kayaking with dolphins experience and a fantastic 2 hour Jet Ski Safari offer.
If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to call us, our aim is to offer you the best time while in Tenerife!
2022 Tenerife Carnival Events Schedule
FRIDAY, 3RD 2022:
Event: Inaugural Gala of Carnival 2022 @ 9:30pm – Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos
SATURDAY, 4TH 2022:
Rondallas Contest @5:00pm – Guimerá Theater
SUNDAY, 5TH 2022:
Choreographic Festival @5:0pm – Guimerá Theater
FRIDAY, 10TH 2022:
Gala for the Election of the Queen of the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2022@9:30pm – Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos
SATURDAY, 11TH 2022:
Musical Group Contest @9:00pm – Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos
SUNDAY, 12TH 2022:
Election of the Queen of the Elderly@5:00pm – Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos
MONDAY, 13TH 2022:
1st Phase Adult Murgas Contest @9:00pm – Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos
TUESDAY, 14TH 2022:
2nd Phase Adult Murgas Contest @9:00pm – Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos
WEDNESDAY, 15TH 2022:
3rd Phase Adult Murgas Competition @9:00pm – Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos
FRIDAY, 17TH 2022:
Final of Murgas Adults @9:00pm – Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos
SATURDAY, 18TH 2022:
Comparsas Contest @9:00pm – Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos
SUNDAY, 19TH 2022:
Gala Election of the Children’s Queen @6:00pm – Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos
MONDAY, 20TH:
1st Phase Children’s Murgas Contest @8:00pm – Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos
TUESDAY, 21ST 2022:
2nd Phase Children’s Murgas Competition @8:00pm – Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos
WEDNESDAY, 22ND 2022:
3rd Phase Children’s Murgas Competition @8:00pm – Centro Internacional de Ferias and Congresos
THURSDAY, 23RD 2022:
Inauguration of the Carnival on the Street @9:00pm
FRIDAY, 24TH 2022:
Announcing Cavalcade + Night Carnival. Quadrilateral @7:00pm
SATURDAY, 25TH 2022:
Day Carnival + Night Carnival. Quadrilateral
SUNDAY, 26TH 2022:
Daytime Carnival + Rhythm and Harmony @8:00pm.
Tickets for Tenerife Carnival
Most of the events at Tenerife Carnival are free to attend. Most of the parties occur on the streets and there are loads of open-air free concerts. If you want to watch some of the competitions, then you will need tickets for these. The Crowning of the Carnival Queen is a popular ticketed event and you must purchase a ticket early.
You absolutely must dress up for the carnival in Tenerife! In fact, if you don’t dress up then you will be the odd one out. People go all out for their costumes in fact so much so that some locals will have 5 or 6 costumes every carnival for different events and will even go home and change between festivities.
However this doesn’t apply when watching the parades, most locals won’t dress up. It’s mainly for street parties. If you feel a little shy many people may just pop on a wig, mask or funny hat, but you’ll have no reason to feel self-conscious when you will be surrounded by Cleopatra, superheroes, clowns, animals, Disney characters etc.
Many people dress up in the carnival theme however you can wear whatever you like. But you can expect to see because the theme is coquette 50’s some epic 50’s fashion, a few Marilyn Monroe’s, Grease Lightning, an Elvis or two and other cool outfits associated with this theme!
