One of the brightest events not only in the Canary Islands, but throughout the world. It takes place in the capital of the Canary Islands – Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Every year this event is visited by about a million tourists from all over the world.
Carnival in Tenerife is considered the second largest and most popular after Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

When
The date of the celebration is different every year, it depends on the date of Easter, since the holiday must end by the beginning of the Great Lent of the Catholics. Therefore, most often it takes place in February, a little less often – in March.

History
The history of the Carnival dates back to the time of the colonization of the islands by Spain, when the traditions of the continent began to penetrate the islands. In 1638, King Philip IV of Spain and his courtiers took part in a staged wedding, where noble nobles dressed as women, the king was dressed as a servant, and the queen was a commoner. From the works of art of that time, we can conclude that fun with dressing up at balls was popular at that time.
The tradition of masks at the carnival, most likely, was founded by the women of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, who wore masks for all fiestas (holidays) and only in this form appeared on Pilar Street.
After the civil war of 1936-1939, the carnival in Tenerife was banned and was not held until the 70s of the twentieth century. During these years, the inhabitants of the islands staged costumed performances, but only at home.
The beginning of the modern Santa Cruz de Tenerife carnival was laid in 1976, after the Winter Festivals. The main purpose of this event was to attract tourists to the islands and, among other things, to avoid the ban on festivities. Since 1976, the festival has been officially renamed Carnival. In 1980, the carnival was declared an international holiday of tourist interest. Today it is the largest in Europe and the second in the world, after the Brazilian carnival.
In 1987, the carnival entered the Guinness Book of Records – at the same time, 250 thousand participants danced on the street to the songs of the queen of salsa Cecilia Cruz and the popular Venezuelan orchestra Billy’s Caracas Boys.

Hold
The carnival is known for its scale, festive processions take place in all the cities of the island, but the most interesting thing happens in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is attended by both locals and tourists, dressed up in carnival costumes, have fun. The main action takes place on the Plaza de España, it is decorated with garlands and flowers, live music plays everywhere, various food and souvenirs are sold on the street.
Before the queen is chosen, on Calle Afilarmónica Nifú-Nifá, there are celebrations for adults and various competitions for children, choreographic festivals, street musicians, orchestras, and a parade of queens of children’s and retirement age.

Wednesday: Queen’s Choice
One of its main events is the election of a queen, this happens at the very beginning of the holiday. All subsequent events unfold with her participation and around her.
Candidates for the role of the queen are selected throughout the year, this selection is very scrupulous. Various enterprises, organizations select a girl who will represent them at the Tenerife carnival. For girls, they sew simply fantastic costumes that amaze with their beauty, brightness and originality. The applicant must be not only very beautiful, but also hardy, because their costumes weigh an average of 150-200 kg, but don’t be scared, they don’t completely hold them on their body, but they are fixed in a special frame that is installed on the car, that’s all they have to put on a small part. The cost of these outfits is incredibly expensive and mostly paid for by sponsors and a multinational company.

Friday: Cabalgata
Cavalcade or Cabalgada (Spanish: Cabalgata) – opening, on this day the beginning of the festivities is announced, the procession begins in the Parque de la Granja (Spanish: Parque de la Granja), moving to Plaza de España. During the passage, which lasts about four hours, avenues intersect: Avenida Islas Canarias, Plaza Weyler and calle Méndez Núñez. The queen and all the girls who took part in the competition participate in this parade, accompanied by a masquerade group. In the evening, a holiday of fun and parties begins.

Saturday: Dancing
This day is dedicated entirely to dancing to Latin music, the main events take place in Candelaria Square (Plaza de Candelaria) and Principe Square (Plaza del Príncipe). Sometimes one of the places changes depending on the commission that develops all the festivities, then one of the squares changes to Europe Square (Spanish: Plaza de Europa (aka La Plaza de Hacienda).

Sunday: Afternoon procession
On Sunday, all movements occur during the day. Ceremonies are held in which families participate as the main characters. This day was adopted in 2008 as a declaration of International Tourist Interest.

Monday: Concert
Stages are being built on Candelaria Square for performances by electronic music stars. DJs from the Canary Islands and guests from other countries perform.

Tuesday: Grand Finale
One of the most exciting events of the holiday is the Gran Coso Apoteosis parade, which takes place in Santa Cruz on Tuesday, during the carnival butter week. We have been preparing for this event for several months. Before the start of the parade, rumba, samba, zarzuela, folia, issai and melodies of the indigenous population of the islands sound on the Plaza of Spain. Incendiary dances to Latin American melodies cannot leave anyone indifferent. During the parade, hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets. This day is considered the official end of the carnival.

Wednesday: Burial of the Sardine
The central action of the parade is the “Funeral of the Sardine”, during which the symbol of the carnival in Tenerife – a large fish made of papier-mâché, is burned at the stake in the Plaza de España. All this is accompanied by a procession of masked people and weeping “widows”. The audience plays along with them. The ashes of the fish are buried on the beach.

During the celebration, various balls, performances, concerts are held, fireworks light up the sky.
At the same time, a children’s carnival in Tenerife is held for children with their own election of a queen and festive costume processions. Local schoolchildren and students take part in the children’s carnival in Tenerife. No less happy are the children and the amusement park, which is open at this time.