The Inaugural Parade, the 40th edition of the Murgas Contest, the three Saturdays of Day Carnival, the Old Carnival Tuesday, the Burial of the Sardine and the recovery of the World Carnival Meeting, will be the highlight of a program full of activities
YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE AGÜIMES 2024 CARNIVAL PROGRAM
The Agüimes Carnival, one of the most historic and traditional in the Canary Islands, recognized and appreciated throughout the archipelago for its particular combination of traditional and modern, will begin next week its festive events, dedicated this year to the stories from 'One Thousand and One Nights', one of the great classics of universal literature. From February 2 to 25, the streets of the municipality will once again be filled with costumes, parades, dances and lots of partying, with characters dressed as Sinbad the Sailor, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Scheherazade or Aladdin.
The scheduled activities will begin next Friday, February 2, in the Agüimes Art Room, located in the House of Culture of the town, with the opening of the exhibition on the Agüimes Murgas Contest, which this year celebrates its 40th edition. The next day, Saturday, February 3, the always busy Inaugural Parade will be held, which will start at 20:30 p.m. from the parking lots of the Municipal Swimming Pool and will feature, as it passes through the City Hall, words of welcome to Don Carnal pronounced by the mayor of the municipality, Óscar Hernández.
This year the Agüimes Carnival coincides with an important anniversary: the fortieth anniversary of its Murgas Contest, one of the most anticipated events of the festival. The murguera tradition of Agüimes is such that the municipality, with just over 32.000 inhabitants, has 17 groups of this type. In proportion to their population, it is as if the two Canary capitals, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife, each house more than 200 murgas. The final of the 40th edition of the Agüimes Murgas Contest, a guarantee of sharp, acidic and intelligent humor, will be held on Friday, February 9, on the stage of Plaza del Rosario.
Three carnivals a day
Joy and fun will also take center stage in the streets during the day with the celebration, for three consecutive Saturdays, of the Day Carnival. The first of the events will take place in Arinaga on Saturday, February 10, starting at 11: 00. Activities for the whole family, such as the pet costume contest, and musical performances by groups such as Aseres, Escuela de Calor or Salvapantallas will ensure fun throughout Polizón Avenue.
On Saturday, February 17, it will be the turn of the historic center of Agüimes. From 11:00 in the morning until late at night, in five different settings, with Plaza del Rosario as the epicenter, a huge range of activities will take place. The concerts of La Buena Vibra, Señor Natilla, Los 600 and King África stand out. As a culmination, a surprise performance by an international artist who will be announced a few days before and will surely awaken the interest of the young audience fond of Latin music.
The third Day Carnival will be held at the Cruce de Arinaga, with the Primero de Mayo square as the stage and with a featured performance by the popular cover group Los Lola. It will be on Saturday, February 24, just the day before the end of the 'Arabian Nights' carnival.
Carnivals of the World
One of the great novelties of the Agüimes Carnival 2024 will be the recovery of the World Carnival Meeting. For two days, Thursday, February 15 and Friday, February 16, Plaza del Rosario will host murga choir workshops, carnival makeup or carnival lyrics, in addition to two stellar performances: the 'Chirigota del Sheriff', crier this year at the Cádiz Carnival, and the Uruguayan murga 'Metele que son Pasteles', one of the most famous at the Montevideo Carnival, which has a close historical and cultural link with the Canary Islands.
Hot bread with oil and garlic
Also new will be the recovery of an old tradition of the Agüimes Carnival: the free distribution of hot bread with oil and garlic to the carnival-goers who are still standing when the festivals come to an end. The kiosks in Plaza del Rosario will be in charge of carrying out the distribution, just as the three existing societies in the town once did at the end of the dawn dances, to fill the stomachs of the neighborhood after a whole night of partying.
The celebration of the old Carnival Tuesday, on February 13 at 21:00 p.m., will be precisely another of the most anticipated events in the program for the local public. Neighbors will dress up again with rags, masks and rudimentary masks, as their grandparents did last century, while they will taste the traditional carnival tortillas, anise buchitos and a cup of rice pudding to sweeten the night. There will also be the Burial of the Sardine, on Wednesday the 14th starting at 21:00 p.m., with its funeral procession in rigorous mourning through the streets of the town, until the sardine is burned in front of the portico of the Church of San Sebastián.
To facilitate safe transportation during the strong days of the carnival, the Global company will enable a special bus service, the schedule of which can be consulted on the website. aguimes.es/mobility. There will also be special taxi services at the stop located in front of the Town Hall. At the Inaugural Parade on Saturday, February 3, and the Burial of the Sardine on Wednesday, the 14th, the taxi rank will be moved to the intersection of Honduras Street and Hermanos La Salle Avenue.
