Festivals in Gran Canaria

Some people come to the island not because of the sun and beaches, but to watch the festivals in Gran Canaria. Even if you are not one of those, check the dates of these festivals, as it could be an amazing adventure on your vacation.

These are the main festivals in Gran Canaria:

5 January, Los Tres Reyes (The Three Kings) – Melchior, Balthazar and Casper ride through the streets and throw sweets to the children. There are parties in the streets and shops remain open till 2am for night gift buying. The best places to watch the parade are Las Palmas, San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Gáldar.

The first two weeks of February, Fiesta del Almendro en flor (Festival of the Almond in Blossom) – takes place in the communities of Tejeda and Valsequillo. The attractions of this festival are folk music and traditional food. The festival is dedicated to the blossoming of the almond trees, which means the beginning of spring.

February – March, Carnival – the biggest and most attended festival in Gran Canaria. The festival consists of lots of people dressed up in stunning costumes, satirical political chants, crowning of the drag queen, the funeral of the sardine and many other events. The carnival is very popular all around the island, but especially in Las Palmas, Maspalomas and Aguïmes. The main celebrations are held in the Santa Catalina Park in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

March – April, Semana Santa (Holy week) – it is a pre-Easter festival featuring processions, where religious icons are carried by women dressed in traditional clothes. Although Semana Santa is celebrated island-wide, Vegueta and Triana are the most popular places.

30 May, Dia de las Islas Canarias (Canary Islands Day) – a relatively new festival in Gran Canaria. It marks the first session of Canary Islands Parliament, held on May 30, 1983. The main celebration takes place in Las Palmas with concerts, sporting events and fireworks. It is a good chance for tourists to try local food and drinks for free.

24 June, Fiesta de San Juan – Las Palmas based festival, dedicated to the foundation of the city and to honour its guardian saint. There are many cultural events across the city, but the main concerts and fireworks take place on Las Canteras beach.

June (with movable dates), Corpus Christi – there are laid out stunning floral carpets in the old city’s streets and Cathedral square of Las Palmas. Although this festival is not very popular in many parts of Spain, but it is still alive in Canarian culture.

July, on the Sundays before and after 16 July, takes place Fiestas del Carmen, a festival in Gran Canaria, dedicated to the patron saint of fishermen.

25 July, Fiesta de Santiago Apósto – a festival in Gáldar honouring the patron saint of Spain.

4 August, Bajada de la Rama is a main celebration in the city of Agaete, which has its roots in the Guanches’ rain-making dance in pre-Hispanic times. In the morning local people go to the mountains, bring back the pine branches and beat the ocean with them. In the afternoon people parade through the town carrying palm branches and waving them to the local rhythms of the municipal brass band.

8 September, Fiesta de la Virgen del Pino (Festival of the Virgin of the Pine) – is the largest religious festival in Gran Canaria, dedicated to the island’s patron saint. Although the celebration is very important all around the island, the main festival takes place in Teror, the religious capital of Gran Canaria. The pilgrims travel on foot from all parts of the island to make offering to the Virgin of the Pine.

9 September, Fiesta del Charco – a strange but very popular and entertaining, Puerto de la Aldea based, festival with the origins of the Guanche rituals. Participants jump into a salt water and try to catch a fish with their bare hands. If you are going to participate in Fiesta del Charco, expect to get wet.

These are the most famous festivals in Gran Canaria. However, there are many more events in all the cities, smaller or larger ones. Travelling through the island, it is a big possibility to find local people celebrating something. Whatever festival it is, a good mood, lots of entertainment, local food and drinks are guaranteed. More activities and things to do in Gran Canaria on SingleTripadvisor.com. For hotels and resorts we advise Luxury-resort-guide website.

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