You are not likely to get bored in Gran Canaria because of all the different parties, fiestas and events taking place throughout the year. Nothing is “weather dependent” in Gran Canaria, like it is at home, because the weather is normally good, and most Canarian fiestas involve copious amounts of food, drink and noise!
Some people like to plan their holiday around a particular fiestas or come when there are a few things on. Others prefer to avoid them because they want a quiet, relaxing trip instead. Whichever of those sounds more like you, perhaps you will find the following table helpful.
Some fiestas and bank holidays (known locally as fiestas nacionales) are on fixed days (like King’s Day is always on 6 January, for example) and others vary because they might be on ‘the 2nd Tuesday in the month’ or whatever. Not every fiesta involves the shops/banks etc being closed although some do.
You will notice a few TBA’s in this table and that means the fiesta dates haven’t been announced yet. Carnaval dates are sometimes announced a few weeks in advance, rather than months or a year, so you know as much as I do!
You might wish to bookmark this page, because I will be adding dates as they become available, so you can book your flights over.
| Festival | Date in 2013 | Public Holiday | Notes |
| New Year’s Day | 1 January | Yes | A day of rest to sleep off the previous night’s excesses |
| Epiphany | 5 January | Yes | |
| Kings’ Day (Día de los Reyes) | 6 January | Yes | When Canarians give and receive their Christmas presents |
| Las Palmas Carnival 2013 | TBA | No | Probably 90% or so will be in Parque Catalina, Las Palmas |
| Carnaval Opening Speech | TBA | No | |
| Carnival Queen Gala | TBA | No | |
| Carnival Drag Queen Gala | TBA | No | |
| Great CarnivalParade | TBA | No | In Las Palmas |
| Burial of the Sardine | TBA | No | A very Canarian fiesta, where a “sardine” is symbolically buried (or blown up!) This is in Las palmas |
| Festival of Almond Blossom | TBA | No | In Valsequillo |
| Maspalomas Carnival | Feb – March | No | Dates are yet to be announced |
| St Joseph’s Day | 19 March | Yes | Called San José in Spanish. Also this date is Father’s Day in the Canaries. |
| Holy Thursday | TBA | Yes | |
| Good Friday | TBA | Yes | |
| Aborigines’ Day | TBA | No | Music, dancing and ceremonies commemorating the Guanches’ defeat of the Spanish |
| Cheese Festival | TBA | No | In Santa Maria de Guia |
| Labour Day | 1 May | Yes | |
| Canarias Day | 30 May | Yes | Everything is closed on this date (except tourist shops/bars/restaurants) and there are parties everywhere! |
| Gay Pride | TBA | No | In Playa del Ingles |
| Fiesta del Carmen | TBA | No | Fiesta for sailors and mariners |
| Bringing Down the Branches | Early August | No | In Agaete and Puerto de las Nievas |
| Asunción de la Virgin | 15 August | Yes | Feast of the Assumption, Dia de la Candelaria, procession in Ingenio |
| Water Fight in Lomo Magullo | August | No | Exact date to be confirmed. Takes place in Telde. |
| Fiesta del Charco | Mid-September | No | Festival of the Lagoon, in Puerto de la Aldea. Exact date to be confirmed |
| Nuestra Señora del Pino | TBA | Yes | Lady of the Pine (this festival is on a different day in each Canary island) – in Teror |
| Fiesta de la Naval | Early October | No | Festival of the sea. Usually the 2nd Saturday in October. Held in Las Palmas. |
| National Day | 12 October | Yes | A bank holiday all over Spain |
| Fiesta of Our Lady of the Rosary | 5 October | No | In Aguimes |
| All Saints’ Day | 1 November | Yes | |
| Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) | 24 November | No | This is a notable yacht rally which takes place every year on the last Sunday in November, with yachts leaving the Las Palmas port and sailing to the Caribbean |
| Day of the Spanish Constitution | 6 December | Yes | A bank holiday all over Spain |
| Immaculate Conception | Yes | A Catholic holiday | |
| Saint Lucia Day | Mid-December | Yes | A Catholic holiday |
| Christmas Day | 25 December | Yes | A day of rest to sleep off the excesses of December 24th (when the Canarians eat their Christmas dinner) |
See also Festivals 2012 .
Hello,
Official schedule from 2013 Las Palmas Carnival can be found here: http://www.lpacarnaval.com/events?locale=en
Notice that the route of carnival parade (16 of February) has been reversed of its normal route.
Maspalomas Carnival is celebrated from 15 to 24 February, no official schedule so far but could be similar to the previous edition.
When will the int. classical music festival take place in 2014+
I want to book tickets and accomodations as soon as I know the dates
when will the fiesta de carmen in July be please?