Photo credit: Radiotelevisión de Canarias
Tenerife Carnival 2026 promises to be another memorable celebration. From your property at Abama Resort, you are perfectly placed to enjoy one of Europe’s most vibrant cultural events at its very best. Each year, the festival transforms the capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, into a spectacle of colour, rhythm and creativity, creating a fully immersive cultural experience that attracts visitors from across Spain and around the world. The Carnival officially begins in January with a programme of preliminary events, while the main celebrations take place from mid-February. Carnival Monday will be held on 16 February, with the festivities drawing to a close on 22 February. Although Carnival is celebrated in many municipalities throughout the archipelago, the capital’s celebrations consistently attract the greatest international attention. Often compared to the major festivities of Rio de Janeiro for their scale, energy and creativity, the Carnival is a rich blend of parades, competitions, music and long evenings of celebration.
For several weeks, streets, squares, theatres and clubs across Tenerife become stages for a festival that brings together music, dance, performing arts, comparsas (performance groups), murgas (musical-theatre groups) and carefully rehearsed choreographies representing different neighbourhoods, communities and styles. Alongside the official parades and competitions, much of the celebration unfolds in the streets, with live music in squares and along main avenues, spontaneous costume contests, themed events for families and a lively nightlife that extends well into the early hours. The programme includes:
-
16 January: Opening of Carnival
-
26, 27, 28 and 29 January: First, Second, Third and Fourth rounds of the Adult Murgas Competition
-
31 January: Adult Murgas Final
-
11 February: Adult Carnival Queen Election Gala
-
13 February: Opening Parade of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival
-
14 February: Carnival Saturday
-
15 February: First Carnival Daytime Celebration
-
16 February: Carnival Monday
-
17 February: Carnival Parade
-
18 February: Burial of the Sardine
-
21 February: Carnival Daytime Celebration, second day and Piñata Saturday
-
22 February: Piñata Sunday
Carnival celebrations across the island
Beyond Santa Cruz, many other towns in Tenerife also celebrate Carnival with enthusiasm and a strong sense of local character. If you are unable to visit Abama during February, Los Cristianos in the south of the island will host its Carnival from 5 to 16 March, offering parades, competitions, galas and activities for all ages centred on the theme “We’re heading straight to space!”. In the capital and in towns such as Tegueste or Puerto de la Cruz, the celebrations include parades, costume competitions and family friendly events, all defined by music, community participation and the expressive use of colour and humour.
If you are staying at your property at Abama Resort during this period, Tenerife Carnival 2026 offers a vibrant cultural counterpoint to the privacy, comfort and wellbeing that define life at the resort throughout the year. The opportunity to combine days of relaxation, fine dining, spa treatments, golf and time by the sea with the energy and creativity of an extraordinary Carnival makes this festive season particularly appealing for owners seeking both cultural enrichment and an exclusive island lifestyle.
