International Carnival in Los Cristianos 2020

Los Cristianos Carnival Poster 2020

The God of a Thousand Faces

"The essence of this poster is based on merging tradition with the avant-garde. Orienting our view towards the Far East, we find dreamlike characters that transport us to a lost past, in which traditions took shape in a thousand ways, with a thousand faces. Those same, we have retaken to give form to our, also, traditional Carnival." says the blurb.

Japan (the theme of this year's carnival in Los Cristianos) and Arona, then merge, in that dance of masks, with a thousand forms and messages, materializing in the 21st century in the streets and parties, where each one chooses the appropriate costume.

The program for this year's Los Cristianos carnival is as follows:

THURSDAY, MARCH 12
- Presentation of Candidates for Junior Queen, Senior Queen and Queen of Carnival. PLACE: Infanta Leonor Auditorium in Los Cristianos

FRIDAY, MARCH 13
- Opening of the Carnival Exhibition. PLACE: Los Cristianos Cultural Center
- Carnival Comparsas Contest. PLACE: Carnival Venue (in front of the Valdés Center building), Los Cristianos

SATURDAY MARCH 14
- WIG PARTY Daytime Carnival. PLACE: Carnival Venue (in front of the Valdés Center building), Los Cristianos.
- Opening Parade of the Carnival. PLACE: Playa de Las Américas, from the C.C. Gala, in Avda. Rafael Puig Lluvina, until C.C. Oasis, in the Avda. The Americas.

SUNDAY, MARCH 15
- Carnival concert of the Arona Town Band. PLACE: Plaza de La Pescadora, Los Cristianos
- Meeting of Murgas de Tenerife. PLACE: Carnival Venue (in front of the Valdés Center building), Los Cristianos

MONDAY, MARCH 16
- Festival of Coreographic Groups. PLACE: Carnival Venue (in front of the Valdés Center building), Los Cristianos

TUESDAY MARCH 17
- Gala of Election of the Senior Queen. PLACE: Carnival Venue (in front of the Valdés Center building), Los Cristianos

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18
- Election Gala of the Junior Carnival Queen. PLACE: Carnival Venue (in front of the Valdés Center building), Los Cristianos

THURSDAY MARCH 19
- 9:00 pm: Grand Gala Election of the Carnival Queen. PLACE: Carnival Venue (in front of the Valdés Center building), Los Cristianos

FRIDAY MARCH 20
- Senior Carnival Dance. PLACE: Courtyard of the Los Cristianos Cultural Center
- Drag Queen Carnival Gala. PLACE: Carnival Venue (in front of the Valdés Center building), Los Cristianos

SATURDAY MARCH 21
Daytime Carnival with two stages:
- Family Stage with diverse performances and Carnival workshops. PLACE: Plaza de La Pescadora, Los Cristianos
- Main stage with national and international artists. PLACE: Carnival Venue (in front of the Valdés Center Building)
- Carnival Costume Contest. PLACE: Plaza de la Pescadora, Los Cristianos
- VI Carnaval Beach Route in tribute to the great songs of the Carnival. PLACE: From the Plaza de la Pescadora, promenade, Plaza de la Alpispa, c / Valle Menéndez, c / Juan Reverón Sierra, c / Amalia Alayón to the Plaza de la Pescadora, Los Cristianos

SUNDAY MARCH 22
- Exhibition of Classic and Antique Cars. PLACE: Carnival Venue (in front of the Valdés Center building), Los Cristianos
- Great Coso Apotheosis of Carnival (Main Parade). PLACE: From the Paloma Beach apartments, on Avda. Juan Carlos I, to the Los Cristianos Cultural Center.

MONDAY, MARCH 23
- Burial of the Sardine of the Carnival of Arona. PLACE: From Fisherman's Square (Cultural Center), to Los Cristianos Beach

This schedule is provisional

Carnaval Internacional de Los Cristianos - Arona 2020

Valentine's Day Clasical Concert, Palo Blanco Hillclimb, Rosé Wine Tasting and Presentation of Carnival Comparsas in Los Cristianos

Valentine's Day Concert

There is to be a Valentine's Day Concert by the Trío Atenea at the Auditorio Infanta Leonor in Los Cristianos. The Athena Trio perform classical works of lyrical music and comprise; Néstor Galván: Tenor, Qingmei Liao: Soprano and Ana Laura Simoes: Pianist. Friday 14 February at 8:30 pm. Entrance €10. Tickets here.

Palo Blanco Hillclimb

Escudería Daute-Realejos (Team Daute-Realejos) have announced the 8th Edition of their Palo Blanco Hillclimb, which was reintroduced into the rally calendar last year after an absense. This event takes place on Saturday 15 February and at close of registration has 52 participants lined up.

Wine Tasting Workshop

Also on Saturday 15 February, from 11 am to 2 pm, the Casa del Vino de Tenerife, Calle San Simón, 49, 38360 El Sauzal, is holding a wine tasting workshop for rosé wines. Price is €18. For more information or to book, call 922 57 25 35 or email casadelvino@teneriferural.org

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The Department of Culture of Arona Town Council invites you to attend the Gala presentation of the fantasy of the comparsas Los Playeritos and Ritmo Sureño on Sunday 16 February at 7 pm at the Auditorio Infanta Leonor. These groups will be part of the Los Cristianos carnival, but this event gives you a preview of the costumes and performances that the groups are presenting this year. Entrance €7. Tickets here.

Gala presentación de la fantasía de las comparsas "Los Playeritos y Ritmo Sureño"

Senior Carnival Queen in Santa Cruz 2020

Senior Carnival Queen in Santa Cruz 2020

Senior Carnival Queen 2020, Consuelo Pérez Arbelo, was crowned last night, Wednesday 12 February, at the Gala de la Elección Reina de los Mayores Santa Cruz 2020 held at The Tenerife International Fairs and Congress Centre. Her costume is entitled Sonora de Amor (Soundtrack of Love) - apt topic for this week - designed by Alexis Santana and sponsored by the shopkeepers of the Zona Comercial Abierta de Santa Úrsula.

Her court is made up as follows:

• First Matron of Honour: Concepción Hernández Expósito in a costume entitled Renacer (Reborn), designed by Williams Luis Alonso and representing the Town Hall of Santiago del Teide.
• Second Matron of Honour: Josefa Herrero Hernández, with the fantasy, Gloria al Cielo (Glory to Heaven) designed by Alexis González and representing Floristería Maxiflor and Calzados Febles Tacoronte. 
• Third Matron of Honour: Eulalia Yanes Sierra, with the design, Sempiterno (Everlasting) by Cristian Santana and representing San Miguel de Abona and Chinatown Shopping Center S.L.
• Forth Matron of Honour: Candelaria Pérez Domínguez with the design, En la flor de la vida (In the prime of life) by David Afonso, representing the Department of Tourism of Arona and Restaurante Las Cazuelitas de Feriche.

The awards were presented by Patricia Hernández, mayor of the city, Andrés Martín Casanova, president of the Autonomous Organization of Parties and Recreational Activities and by the outgoing senior carnival queen, Antonia Garrido Francés.

The remaining four candidates were: Candelaria Rodríguez Hernández, Carmen Marina Ramos Mesa, María Cristina Santana González and Emma Sánchez Lojo.



Consuelo Pérez Arbelo | Gala de la Elección de la Reina | S/C Tenerife 2020

The Election of the Senior Carnival Queen of Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2020

Senior Carnival Queen at the Gala for her election 2019

The build up to Carnival 2020 in Santa Cruz de Tenerife continues this week with the Gala Election of the Senior Carnival Queen, taking place on Wednesday, 12 February.

Concurso de disfraces (Costume Contest) 2019

The competitions then continue with the Comedy Song Contest, on February 14 at the Teatro Guimerá, the Contest of the Comparsa groups on February 15, at 8:00 p.m., at the Centro Internacional de Ferias y Congresos de Tenerife), the Costume Contest on Sunday February 16, at 11.00 and the Rondallas contest that Sunday too, but in the Auditorium. On Tuesday, 18 February: Concert with lyrical group Los Fregolinos.



Concurso de Disfraces | Carnaval de S/C Tenerife 2019

More details of the Program for Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2020

Most Santa Cruz carnival events are televised via RTVE or RTVC, locally, nationally and internationally or may be found on the CarnavalTVC Youtube channel. 

Junior Carnival Queen in Santa Cruz 2020

Junior Carnival Queen in Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2020

The city of Santa Cruz elected the first of its carnival queens for 2020 on Sunday 9 February. Crowned Junior Carnival Queen 2020 at the gala held at the Tenerife International Centre for Trade Fairs and Congresses, was Violeta García García with a costume in the form of a vintage Singer sewing machine, entitled, ‘La más anciana de la vieja fábrica’ (The oldest in the old factory), designed by Alexis Santana Rodríguez and representing Construcciones y Reformas Eliazar Jesús and Restaurante La Punta.

Her court is made up of the following:

1. First Maid of Honour is Allegra Sebbe Repeto with a costume entitled ‘¿Jugamos?’ (Shall we play?), designed by Borja Abreu and represeting La Santa, Tasca Aquí y Ahora and Marisquería Nicomedes.
2. Second Maid of Honour is María Eugenia Meza Barbuzano, with a design entitled, ‘Mil historias’ (A thousant stories) designed by Sedomir Rodríguez de la Sierra, representing Tomás Meza Clínica Dental.
3. Third Maid of Honour is Paula González Sánchez with a costume entitled ‘El mundo que habito’ (The world I inhabit) by Riverol Creaciones, representing Diseñadores del Carnaval Ahuarita.
4. Forth Maid of Honour is Daniella Saraith Vilora Abreu with ‘Entre un cocodrilo y un príncipe guapo, me enamoro de un sapo’ (Between a crocodile and a handsome prince, I fall in love with a toad), by Ruymán Pérez Jorge, representing Plus Hogar Tenerife.

Eleven candidates took part in the contest, the remaining six candidates were; Paula Mallorquín Díaz, Chloe Breban, Larissay Beatriz Catarine Aguiar, Valentina Alejandra Pérez Osorio, Ainoha Torres Rodríguez and Nayara Vera Siverio.

More photos of the junior carnival queen and her court



Summary of the Gala de la Reina Infantil del Carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2020. Watch the full gala at the following link Gala Reina Infantil Carnaval S/C de Tenerife 2020.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival 1995

Stage in the Plaza de España for Carnival 1995

1995 Carnival Poster

Last year we looked back 25 years to the carnival of 1994, the first time I'd been to carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife personally, and I thought this could be 'a tradition' we could repeat, so let's reprise carnival in 1995. That year the theme of carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife was Las Mil y una Noches (The Thousand and One Nights) and above is the stage in the Plaza de España, inspired by the film Aladdin.

This was the last time the galas took place in the open air, before they were transferred to the Centro Internacional de Ferias y Congresos de Tenerife (The Tenerife International Centre for Trade Fairs and Congresses), which opened the following year.

Carnival Queen of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1995, was 16 year old María Elena Luis Luis in a costume entitled, "Palabras Mágicas" (Magic Words), representing Páginas Amarillas (Yellow Pages) and designed by Marcos Marrero and María Díaz.

The jury of, among others, Seville designers Victorio & Lucchino and the comedian Pedro Ruiz, acknowledged the difficulty in choosing the winner from among the 25 candidates, due to the spectacular and colorful costumes. They held a celebratory cavalcade the same night, after which the carnival took to the streets for the next four days.

Below is the spectacular opening of the gala, followed by the Queen's coronation.



Gran Gala Reina del Carnaval de S/C de Tenerife 1995



Coronación Reina del Carnaval de S/C de Tenerife 1995

Below are images from the Children's Carnival Parade in 1995.

Coso Infantil 1995

The Cutest Elephants in the Coso Infantil 1995

Miss Piggy at the Coso Infantil 1995

Junior Carnival Queen at the Coso Infantil 1995

Tenerife Rally Calendar for 2020

Federación Interinsular de Automovilismo de Santa Cruz de Tenerife

The Federación Interinsular de Automovilismo de Santa Cruz de Tenerife FIASCT (Tenerife Motor Sport Federation) have publised a DRAFT calendar of events for this year's rally season (download PDF here in Spanish) and there are some changes to the format - they also have a shiny new website. This is for the province of Santa Cruz (not just the island or the city), so includes events on La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro too. 

		RALLYE (Rally)		MONTAÑA (Hillclimbs)		TIERRA
FEB	01/02
	08/09					San Miguel
	15/16			Palo Blanco
	22/23
	29/01
MAR	07/08
	14/15					Arico
	21/22
	28/29	Orvecame Norte
APR	04/05	Sprint Atogo
	11/12
	18/19			Los Loros		La Guancha
	25/26
MAY	02/03	Villa de Adeje
	09/10
	16/17
	23/24			Alajeró
	30/31
JUN	06/07			Guía de Isora
	13/14
	20/21	Granadilla
	27/28
JUL	04/05			Güímar
	11/12					Isla Tenerife
	18/19
	25/26	City of La Laguna
AUG	01/02
	08/09
	15/16
	22/23
	29/30	Sprint Arico				La Guancha
SEP	05/06			La Cumbre
	12/13			San Miguel
	19/20
	26/27					Arico
OCT	03/04			Tamaimo
	10/11
	17/18			Arona-La Escalona
	24/25	Isle of Tenerife
	31/01
NOV	07/08			Icod-La Guancha
	14/15	La Gomera
	21/22
	28/29					El Hierro
DEC	05/06
	12/13	Santiago del Teide
	19/20					Trophy Gala
	26/27

Final of the Murga Contests and selection of the Junior Carnival Queen in Santa Cruz

Junior Carnival Queen at the Gala for her Election in 2019

The carnival excitement level shifts up a gear in Santa Cruz de Tenerife this week as we get to the climax of the hugely popular murga groups contests with the Final of the Murga Contests on Friday, 7 February. Then on Saturday, 8 February there is the Contest of Musical Groups. The first of the three carnival queens is chosen in the Gala Election of the Junior Carnival Queen on Sunday, 9 February. (Links go to coverage of the corresponding events from last year, so you can get an idea of what's involved.)



More details of the Program for Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2020

Most Santa Cruz carnival events are televised via RTVE or RTVC, locally, nationally and internationally or may be found on the CarnavalTVC Youtube channel. 

When Tenerife Carnival was 'disguised' as Winter Festival (From 1961 to 1976)

Posters for the Fiestas de Invierno 1962 - 1965

During the dictatorship of Franco, carnival celebrations were banned throughout the country, but after the period of the wars: Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and World War II (1939-1945), the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife was held clandestinely, to a greater or lesser extent according to the tolerance level of the different governors. In 1954, Civil Governor of the province, Arias Navarro, prohibited the celebration of carnivals, while the greatest carnival tolerance was demonstrated by governor of the island, Santiago Galindo Herrero (1958-1960), who liked to attend most of the events that were celebrated.

Josefina Soriano Vela, Queen
of the Fiestas de Invierno
(Winter Festival) 1968

Then in 1961, then civil governor Manuel Ballesteros Gaibrois, the bishop of Tenerife, Domingo Pérez Cáceres, and the secretary of the Provincial Board of Information and Tourism, Opelio Rodríguez Peña, had the happy idea of ​​replacing the name of Carnival with Fiestas de Invierno (Winter Festival).

It seems clear to me that the real motivation behind this name change, therefore, was to attract tourism and money and to improve the economy of the island, rather than it simply being to meet the popular demand and indeed, in 1967, the Winter Festival was declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest.

After the death of Franco and the subsequent arrival of democracy in 1976, Carnival regained its name and gradually became the popular festival, declared, in 1980, Festival of International Tourist Interest and becoming part of the history of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.



Fiestas de Invierno 1971

Tenerife Fiestas in February 2020

Carnival Queen in Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2019

February 2020 brings us all the excitement of the biggest party of the year: the carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, but before that, February 2nd will no doubt still have events taking place in honour of the spiritual patron of the Canary Islands: the Virgen de la Candelaria, although this year that date is NOT a public holiday as it already falls on a Sunday. 

Each year on February 15th (this year a Saturday), from 5 a.m. onwards, the doors of the Santa Catalina convent in La Laguna will be opened for the faithful and the curious to queue around the block for the chance to view the incorrupt body of Sor María de Jesús (Sister Mary of Jesus de León y Delgado) (1643 – 1731), known as La Siervita.

In Santa Cruz the carnival inauguration gala took place on January 24 and the contests have been ongoing since January 30. The Program for Carnival in Santa Cruz de Tenerife 2020 lists the remaining contests and galas in the lead up to Carnival 2020 in the streets, which takes place between Friday, 21st February 2020 and Sunday, 1st March 2020. Monday of Carnival (February 24) will also be a local holiday in the city of Santa Cruz and Martes de Carnaval (Carnival Tuesday / Shrove Tuesday) is a municipal holiday in Adeje, Arafo, Arico, Arona, Candelaria, El Rosario, El Sauzal, Fasnia, Granadilla, Icod, La Guanza, La Matanza, La Orotava, La Victoria, Puerto de la Cruz, la Laguna, San Miguel, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Santa Úrsula and Tacoronte.

In Puerto de la Cruz too there are carnival events taking place between Friday, 7 February and Sunday, 1 March.