The Cunning Canary » Events http://www.cunningcanary.com My Grand life on Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands! Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:11:57 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Bruce Springsteen in Concert http://www.cunningcanary.com/1399/bruce-springsteen-in-concert/ http://www.cunningcanary.com/1399/bruce-springsteen-in-concert/#comments Wed, 18 Jan 2012 15:06:48 +0000 Victoria http://www.cunningcanary.com/?p=1399 Bruce Springsteen fans, listen up – Bruce is coming to Gran Canaria! :D Although the date hasn’t been finalised yet (few things in Gran Canaria ever are!) it is believed to be May 15th, 2012.

The other venues and dates are Seville on May 13th, Barcelona on May 17th and 18th, San Sebastian on June 2nd and Madrid on June 17th. After that he’s in Germany, Portugal, Italy, Holland and other European countries. Busy man! The tickets will be priced around 100 pounds.

Although I’m not especially a Bruce Springsteen fan, I did go and see Shakira in concert in Las Palmas and really enjoyed that.

]]> http://www.cunningcanary.com/1399/bruce-springsteen-in-concert/feed/ 1 Las Palmas Carnaval 2012 Agenda http://www.cunningcanary.com/1334/las-palmas-carnaval-2012-agenda/ http://www.cunningcanary.com/1334/las-palmas-carnaval-2012-agenda/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:41:46 +0000 Victoria http://www.cunningcanary.com/?p=1334 If you are planning to visit Las Palmas during Carnaval time in 2012, you will be pleased to know that the local council has released the agenda, so you can get busy planning your trip. There is a Carnaval in the South which some people prefer to attend but if you fancy something different this year, you might like to see the Carnaval in Las Palmas instead. It goes on for a couple of weeks and there is something on nearly every day.

Photo by Azuaje

The Las Palmas Carnaval 2012 itinerary is as follows:
3 – Carnaval Queen
4 – Kids Comparsas
5 – Dog carnival by day and Granny Carnival Queen by night
6 – Murgas round 1
7 – Murgas round 2
8 – Murgas round 3
9 – Adults Carnaval costume competition
10 – Adult Comparsas
11 – Murgas – The Final
12 – Kids carnaval costume competition and kids’ carnaval Queen
13 – Social integration gala
14 – Drag Queen pre-selection
15 – Body painting competition
16 – Nothing
17 – Drag Queen competition
18 – Main Parade
19 – Kids Murgas
20 – Big Carnaval Show (night time)
21 – Burial of the Sardine
If you’re wondering what comparsas are, these are bands playing music accompanied by dancers. Most Canarian street festivals and fiestas feature comparsas.
]]> http://www.cunningcanary.com/1334/las-palmas-carnaval-2012-agenda/feed/ 0 WOMAD 2011 in Las Palmas http://www.cunningcanary.com/1320/womad-2011-in-las-palmas/ http://www.cunningcanary.com/1320/womad-2011-in-las-palmas/#comments Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:33:47 +0000 Victoria http://www.cunningcanary.com/?p=1320 So, what’s on in Gran Canaria in November? Well, this year’s WOMAD fiesta is scheduled for November 12th, 2011 in Santa Catalina and The Boulevard, in Las Palmas, and that is something you don’t want to miss.

There will be plenty of national and international musicians performing, as well as various workshops for adults and children. Every part of WOMAD 2011 is free, thanks to the local government and commercial sponsorship and it’s usually really busy, both with Canarians and visitors to the island who come especially for the WOMAD event.

Photo by A Manuel Mateos

There are plenty of hotels and guest houses nearby, although there is no camping in Las Palmas, at least not near the WOMAD venue. The line-up hasn’t been announced yet but you can check http://womad.org/festivals/canarias/lineup/ because they will update the site in advance.

WOMAD, which stands for “World of Music, Arts and Dance” is on every November in Las Palmas so if you can’t make this one, there is always next year.

]]> http://www.cunningcanary.com/1320/womad-2011-in-las-palmas/feed/ 0 When is Carnaval 2012 in Gran Canaria? http://www.cunningcanary.com/1302/when-is-carnaval-2012-in-gran-canaria/ http://www.cunningcanary.com/1302/when-is-carnaval-2012-in-gran-canaria/#comments Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:29:05 +0000 Victoria http://www.cunningcanary.com/?p=1302 Next year’s Carnaval is going to be from 3rd – 21st February in Las Palmas (according to the official website) and from 25th February until 4th March in Maspalomas and Playa del Ingles (according to the local council website). If you are in the mood for some fun, why not book your 2012 holiday in Gran Canaria? The Carnaval is always a great time to visit. There are plenty of things going on.

]]> http://www.cunningcanary.com/1302/when-is-carnaval-2012-in-gran-canaria/feed/ 0 Festival de San Antonio, Mogan http://www.cunningcanary.com/1224/festival-de-san-antonio-mogan/ http://www.cunningcanary.com/1224/festival-de-san-antonio-mogan/#comments Wed, 08 Jun 2011 08:57:06 +0000 Victoria http://www.cunningcanary.com/?p=1224 This festival takes place between 2nd and 13th June, in Mogan. The last day is Monday 13th June, so most public buildings (like the town hall, banks etc) will be closed, although it takes more than public holidays to close most of the tourist shops and restaurants.

This is just a small local fiesta so everything outside Mogan should be open for business as usual.

Between 11am and 2pm there is a gastronomic fair with cheese, bread, nougat, wine and more. There is a Eucharist at 11.30am. At 9pm there is a gala in the municipal park which you might like to go and watch :-D

You can find more information about this festival here: http://mogan.es/Agenda/2011/05_Mayo/SanAntonio.pdf

]]> http://www.cunningcanary.com/1224/festival-de-san-antonio-mogan/feed/ 0 Summer Food and Fashion Week in Las Palmas http://www.cunningcanary.com/1164/summer-food-fashion-week-in-gran-canaria-april-2011/ http://www.cunningcanary.com/1164/summer-food-fashion-week-in-gran-canaria-april-2011/#comments Wed, 30 Mar 2011 14:59:54 +0000 Victoria http://www.cunningcanary.com/?p=1164 This event lasts from 10am on April 4th until 10.30pm on April 10th. You can dine for 10 euros (for dinner) or 4 euros (for breakfast or lunch) at a number of restaurants situated around Zona Comercial La Triana in Las Palmas, which is the capital’s main shopping area.

Look out for “visual merchandising” concepts in the area’s shop windows, as designers really get involved in promoting their shops and labels. If you like to shop or eat (or both!) this might be a nice event to attend. You can find more information here (in Spanish only): http://www.summergrancanariamodacalida.com/inicio.html

]]> http://www.cunningcanary.com/1164/summer-food-fashion-week-in-gran-canaria-april-2011/feed/ 0 Dia de la Candelaria http://www.cunningcanary.com/1092/dia-de-la-candelaria/ http://www.cunningcanary.com/1092/dia-de-la-candelaria/#comments Sun, 20 Feb 2011 08:47:29 +0000 Victoria http://www.cunningcanary.com/?p=1092 Virgen de la Candelaria, or Dia de la Candelaria, is usually celebrated worldwide on February 2nd but this differs from country to country. Also known as Candlemas, Dia de la Candelaria is a Catholic holiday. It is based on the presentation of Jesus in the temple. The Virgen de la Candelaria is the Patron Saint of the Canary Islands.

August 15th is when the main celebrations occur in the Canary Islands, despite the Catholic church celebrating on February 2nd. On August 14th, buses and trucks decorated with palm leaves and flowers arrive at the Plaza de la Candelaria, in the town of Ingenio. People spend the night dancing and singing and some sleep in the open air.

The following day there is a procession and someone carries a statue of la Virgen at the front. There are also shepherds dressed in sheepskins and goatskins and their flocks. This isn’t the most comfortable attire in mid-August when it’s likely to be around 40 degrees C but it’s all about the symbolism :-)

The churches might hold special services on February 2nd but if you want to see the Feast of the Assumption – Asunción de la Virgin celebrations in mid-August, you can make your way to Ingenio and watch the parade.

The celebrations are bigger in Tenerife and they even have a town called Candelaria there, in honour of la virgen, but you will be able to enjoy the festivities in Gran Canaria as well. Get bus no.11 or bus no.21 from Las Palmas’ San Telmo bus station.

]]> http://www.cunningcanary.com/1092/dia-de-la-candelaria/feed/ 1 Schedule of Dates for Las Palmas Carnaval 2011 – Plan Your Trip! http://www.cunningcanary.com/1064/schedule-of-dates-for-las-palmas-carnaval-2011-plan-your-trip/ http://www.cunningcanary.com/1064/schedule-of-dates-for-las-palmas-carnaval-2011-plan-your-trip/#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2011 06:25:34 +0000 Victoria http://www.cunningcanary.com/?p=1064 The dates for the Carnaval Las Palmas have finally been announced and you can find a complete guide here: http://lpacarnaval.com/events?locale=en as well as on our 2011 Gran Canaria calendar here: http://www.cunningcanary.com/2011-gran-canaria-festival-calendar/

If you are thinking about booking a holiday to Gran Canaria in 2011 and you want to see the Carnaval in Las Palmas, hurry up and book your tickets. Oh, and a word of advice – the signage which is appearing all over the island has the WRONG days on it (someone can’t translate the day names between Spanish and English) so use the website instead!!

This exciting carnival (or Carnaval in Spanish) kicks off on 15th February with the Murgas Contest. This band, who performs at 8.30pm in Parque Santa Catalina, Gran Canaria, sings songs about various political and social issues in the Canary Islands. The carnival ends with the Burial of the Sardine at 9pm on 12th March on Las Canteras beach.

The Las Palmas 2011 carnival will give you a real taste of all things Canarian, as the food and drinks flow freely and a party atmosphere takes over the city.

You can stay in Playa del Ingles or Puerto Rico and travel up and down by bus or try to find a hotel in Las Palmas itself. Of course you don’t have to go to every event – just pick and choose the ones that appeal. The Carnival Queen Gala at 10pm on 25th February will be a nice event and the Drag Queen Gala is usually a hoot – that’s on the 4th March at 9pm in Parque Santa Catalina.

See you there! :-D

]]> http://www.cunningcanary.com/1064/schedule-of-dates-for-las-palmas-carnaval-2011-plan-your-trip/feed/ 0 Canary Islands Music Festival January 2011 http://www.cunningcanary.com/1044/canary-islands-music-festival-january-2011/ http://www.cunningcanary.com/1044/canary-islands-music-festival-january-2011/#comments Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:28:28 +0000 Victoria http://www.cunningcanary.com/?p=1044 Between January 7 and February 6, 2011, you can enjoy the annual Canary Islands music festival. This festival has taken place every year since 1985 and each year there seem to be more artists and visitors.

The classical music concerts are held in the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, and in the Auditorio de Tenerife in Santa Cruz, Tenerife. You can look forward to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Charles Dutoit, the Wiener Symphoniker I with Fabio Luisi and the Russion National Philharmonic with Vladimir Spivakiv, amongst other performances. There are also local orchestras.

You can find more information on the official website here: http://www.festivaldecanarias.com/festival_2011/index.php

]]> http://www.cunningcanary.com/1044/canary-islands-music-festival-january-2011/feed/ 1 Carnival Queen Gala 2010 http://www.cunningcanary.com/801/carnival-queen-gala-2010/ http://www.cunningcanary.com/801/carnival-queen-gala-2010/#comments Thu, 31 Dec 2009 08:27:50 +0000 Victoria http://www.cunningcanary.com/?p=801 The carnival in Las Palmas in 2010 lasts from January 26th until February 20th and there are all kinds of events from processions, parades, music, dancing, food and drink shows, drag queen competitions and, of course, the Carnival Queen Gala. Carnival, or Carnaval, is a magical time and there is a lot to see and do.

You can either stay in Las Palmas and enjoy the busy and exciting time or stay in one of the resorts in the south, maybe Puerto Rico, San Agustin or Playa del Ingles, and travel to Las Palmas on a couple of days to watch the fun.

We’ll have more information for you about Las Palmas Carnival 2010 as details and plans for this year’s festivities are released.

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