| Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival | |
|---|---|
 The Queen of the Carnival on parade (2006) | |
| Genre | Carnival |
| Date(s) | February–March (depending on the year) |
| Begins | Two weeks before Ash Wednesday (about 52 days to Easter) |
| Ends | Weekend after Ash Wednesday |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain |
| Major events | Parade, parties, Queen selection, Piñata weekend |
| Fiesta of International Tourist Interest | |
| Designated | 1980 |
The Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Spanish: Carnaval de Santa Cruz de Tenerife) is held each February–March –depending on the year– in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the largest island of the Canary Islands, Spain and attracts people from all over the world.
It is considered the second most important[1] most popular and internationally known carnival, after the one held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).[2][3] Partially for this reason, the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is twinned with the city of Rio de Janeiro.[4][5][6]
In 1980, it was declared a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest by the Secretary of State for Tourism. It aspires to become a intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO.[7] In 1987, singer Celia Cruz went to the Carnival Chicharrero with Billo's Caracas Boys; attended by 250,000 people, the concert was registered in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest gathering of people in an outdoor plaza to attend a concert. In 2019 for its part, more than 400,000 people danced to the rhythm of Juan Luis Guerra during the Carnival of the day thus surpassing the record reached in 1987 with Celia Cruz. Although, however, due to the unexpected mass response there was no notary officializing this figure for the Guinness Book.[8]
The festivities on the streets of Santa Cruz de Tenerife start on the Friday before Carnival with an opening parade, which reaches its height during the night when thousands of people in fancy dresses dance until the early hours of the next day. The party continues night after night until Ash Wednesday. That day, people of Santa Cruz de Tenerife celebrate the "entierro de la sardina" (burial of the sardine), and with this event the carnival is officially over. However, the party starts up again the following weekend, known as the weekend of the piñata.
The festival has two parts: the official Carnival, and the Carnival on the street. The official carnival has more than a hundred groups, including murgas, comparsas, rondallas and other musical groups. The street carnival is more loosely organized, and comprises the people celebrating on the streets. Thousands of people come each day to the streets to participate, most of whom wear a disguise in accordance with Carnival tradition.
- ^ "Fiestas de España. El Carnaval de Tenerife". Archived from the original on 21 September 2010. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ El Carnaval de Tenerife
- ^ "Ciudades hermanadas con Santa Cruz de Tenerife". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ "Fiestas de España. El Carnaval de Tenerife". Archived from the original on 21 September 2010. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ El Carnaval de Tenerife
- ^ "Ciudades hermanadas con Santa Cruz de Tenerife". Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 26 February 2010.
- ^ http://www.santacruzmas.com/SantaCruzMas09.asp?IdMenu=10&IdSeccion=41&IdSubseccion=238[permanent dead link]
- ^ Santa Cruz bate el récord de Celia Cruz