Alejandro Marichal: “We have multiplied revenue thanks to managing public money with rigor, planning and transparency”
Yilenia Vega: “In two years we have gone from 36.600 to 136.499 euros. More than 100.000 additional euros thanks to planned, regulated and transparent management.”
The Department of Festivals and Events of San Bartolomé de Tirajana has managed to quadruple the income linked to municipal festivals and events, going from 36.600 euros in 2023 to 136.499,11 euros in 2025, thanks to the implementation of a clear and transparent procedure for the authorization and contracting of beach bars, kiosks, floats and sponsorships.
In 2025, revenue from festivals organized by the Department of Festivals and Events totaled €136.499,11. Carnival 2025 generated €15.950 from float participation in the parade, €41.000 from food and drink stalls, and €28.000 from sponsorships. Additional revenue was generated from the El Tablero Festival (€21.300), the San Fernando Festival (€29.515,80), the Tunte Festival (€627,51), and the Christmas food and drink stalls (€105,80).
In comparison, during the Carnival held from March 9 to 19, 2023, revenue was limited exclusively to income from the beach bars, reaching €36.600. The increase recorded in 2025 amounts to €99.899,11 more than in 2023, as a result of the diversification of funding sources and the formal regulation of new economic concepts within the Carnival itself and the other festivals in the municipality.
The Councillor for Tourism, Festivities and Events, Yilenia Vega, emphasizes that “in 2023, revenue linked to the festivities was practically limited to the Carnival stalls and amounted to 36.600 euros. In 2025, we reached 136.499,11 euros. We are talking about almost 100.000 euros more thanks to planning, the regulation of new concepts within Carnival itself, and the generation of income from other festivals throughout the year. This demonstrates that when management is organized and clear procedures are established, the results follow.”
One of the most significant advances has been the development and publication of a specific sponsorship dossier for Carnival 2025, which allowed for the structuring of corporate participation with professional criteria, defined benefits, and a proven return on investment. This tool facilitated the acquisition of €28.000 in sponsorships and consolidated a stable channel for public-private collaboration under transparent and regulated parameters.
The first deputy mayor, Alejandro Marichal, emphasizes that the change is not only quantitative, but structural. “We have multiplied revenue thanks to managing public funds rigorously, with planning and transparency. Kiosks and stalls are no longer improvised; they are processed with objective criteria, publicity, and oversight. And the money they generate is reinvested in the festivals themselves, improving infrastructure, security, programming, and services.”
With this model, Marichal continues, the Department of Festivals “is consolidating a system in which every permit, every installation, and every sponsorship is processed through a formal administrative procedure, with financial traceability and a direct return for the improvement of events.” More order, more resources, and higher quality in the organization of municipal festivals are now the foundation of a management approach that strengthens institutional trust and highlights the work carried out over the past two years.
This new management model is further complemented by top-level institutional recognition. The City Council unanimously approved a motion to request that the Maspalomas International Carnival be declared a Festival of Tourist Interest of the Canary Islands, and subsequently, the Government of the Canary Islands officially granted this distinction through an Order published in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands on March 10, 2025. This declaration recognizes the Carnival's historical trajectory, its unique character, and its tourist and economic impact on the archipelago.
