The grand carnival in Tenerife will be different from previous years. This is evident from the programme presented by the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council. The start date has been brought forward by two weeks: instead of early February, the festivities will begin on Friday 22 January 2027 with the opening gala.
With this change of dates, the carnival breaks with the religious calendar. The organisers cite organisational reasons for this. The entire programme is also condensed into five weeks, with no break between the opening gala and the first competition.
This year’s Tenerife Carnival is themed ‚Roma Eterna, el Imperio del Carnaval‚ (‚Eternal Rome, the Empire of Carnival‘). For the first time, the music groups will kick off the competition series on Saturday 23 January, with free admission.
Tenerife Carnival 2027: New groups in the competitions
The carnival in Santa Cruz is considered the second largest in the world. In 2027, it will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its modern format, featuring mass street dancing. These celebrations once set a Guinness World Record, with more than 250,000 people dancing to the sounds of the marching bands in and around the Plaza de España.
Two new musical groups have registered: Sabor a Diablo, linked to Diablos Locos, and Mamerecumbé, based at the Casa del Miedo. Mamerecumbé comprises seven carnival groups in various categories, including murgas, a rondalla and the Grupo de la Canción de la Risa. In the best-case scenario, there would be eleven music groups taking part – one more than the number of ten laid down in the statutes.
The murgas adultas competition has a fixed quota of 24 groups: 21 participants from the last edition, the merger of Avispados and the historic Ni Pico-Ni Corto, and three places available for at least four applicants. Los Trinkosos, winners of the 2026 Norte Murga Competition, receive a ‚gold pass‘ and a guaranteed place even if the quota is full. The four preliminary rounds will run from Monday 1 February to Thursday 4 February, with the final featuring eight groups taking place on Saturday 6 February 2027.
Santa Cruz Carnival 2027: Dates up to Domingo de Piñata
The dance group competition will take place on Sunday 24 January. The children’s groups will perform on Friday 29 January and Saturday 30 January. The music competition is still scheduled for Sunday 31 January at the Auditorio de Tenerife. The organisers had already booked this venue before the end of the previous edition, which is why the date remains unchanged despite the postponement.
The street celebrations run from Friday 19 February, with the Cabalgata Anunciadora, until Domingo de Piñata on Sunday 28 February 2027. In between are the parade on Tuesday 23 February and the Burial of the Sardine on Wednesday 24 February. This tradition always marks the end of the carnival (more on this below).
Santa Cruz Carnival: higher fees and staff changes
For the fourth year running, fees are set to rise: an adult murga will now receive 10,000 euros instead of the previous 9,400 euros. Enrique Camacho returns as artistic director on 22 January 2027, three years after his last stint. Yeray Piñero will once again head up the competitions, whilst Lolo Tavío becomes musical director of the founding group Bambas from El Cardonal.
Javier Caraballero, the councillor responsible for festivals, praised the groups‘ willingness to cooperate during the previous meetings. He said that this was the only way the final calendar could have been finalised in the first place. According to Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez, a consensus was reached with the groups following the decision to postpone the events, which is why the Festivals Department is now working towards 22 January. The former organising committee has since become the Entidad Pública Empresarial Fiestas de Santa Cruz.
Last year, the carnival in Santa Cruz was cancelled at short notice. Severe weather and strong winds had thrown the safety plans for the celebrations into disarray. For the coming year, the organising committee is hoping for ideal conditions – even though the fiestas will start earlier and will therefore be closer to the typical winter weather in the Canary Islands.
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