Tenerife Celebrations

Discovering the Best and Most Interesting Tenerife Events

Tenerife is the largest of the seven Canary Islands and the most visited. This sun-kissed island welcomes over 5 million visitors each year, all visiting the island with the same goals – to have a holiday full of adventure, excitement, and most importantly a unique and unforgettable experience.

This fun-filled island has become a hot holiday spot amongst people of all ages. It hosts numerous events and fiestas that bursts out onto the streets throughout the year; each as exciting, fun and fascinating as the next and enjoyed by both locals and visitors.

The Carnival of Santa Cruz – This event takes place every February in the capital city, Santa Cruz, and is one of the world’s most elaborate annual celebrations. One of the highlights of this carnival, which continues for days, is the Carnival Queen election gala. The Carnival of Santa Cruz was declared a Tourist Festival on International Interest in 1980 and saw a record breaking 250,000 people attend that same year.

Three Kings – This event will have children screaming with joy as it’s much like Christmas only it’s Spanish Christmas, where presents are exchanged according to the traditions in Spain. The eve of Three Kings, much like Christmas Eve, is a big day and spectacular events take place. There are traditional processions, and the kings present sweets to all the children on the streets. As this festival attracts more children, the parade normally includes Disney characters, and others that are catered towards young children.

The Festival de Musica de Canarias – The Canary Islands has a long tradition in music and this event is a celebration of the region’s musical culture. Festival de Musica de Canarias is Europe’s most influential classical music festival and honours all the musical greats, attracting orchestras from all around the world. It proves that the islands aren’t just about sunny beaches. Musical lovers from around the world are invited to enjoy outstanding musical performances from world class musicians.

Holy Week – Holy Week is a religious holiday in Tenerife and is one of the island’s huge events. It’s a series of manifestations and processions leading up to Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Visitors have the opportunity to appreciate the rich religious heritage of the island, with processions passing through the most symbolic streets, showcasing the religious sculptures and craftsmanship in precious metals.  Chapels and churches are open to public during the Holy Week to exhibit the Eucharist figures.

Dia de la Cruz – This is another religious yet significant celebration in Tenerife. On this day, you’ll find crosses all around the island that are beautifully covered with red carnations. The people of Tenerife attend to procession carrying these decorated crosses and dance around in traditional attires.

The Burial of the Sardine – As the name implies, this is a truly unique and rather entertaining event. You’ll find men dress as wailing women following the giant sardine through the streets, but this event doesn’t come without its own underlying traditions either. It is actually the most important event in Tenerife of all. Various towns and cities of the island celebrate by holding a mock funeral and burying a sardine in a coffin to mark the end of the festivities. Festivals are held on the beach before burning of the coffins.

No one and nothing is spared from the most festive, joyful and colourful festivities of Tenerife. The island truly exudes a picture of happiness and jubilant nights. Festivals go on for days and throughout the year, so whenever you decide to spend your holidays in Tenerife, you are sure to be touched by Tenerife’s festive magic.