Only in the Lopesan hotel complexes in Meloneras there were more people on the streets than in the whole of the north of Gran Canaria with the two or three street parties that were held for them. The social networks of tourists in the south of Gran Canaria have once again worked their magic by celebrating the arrival of 2025 in style with their friends and family. In Playa del Inglés the party at the Yumbo shopping centre was a new promotional engine for the tourist capital of the Canary Islands. Both towns, although full of history and charm, lack a significant hotel infrastructure to attract the mass tourism expected at this time. Tourism is provided by the south to generate income and in the north the spending is done.
In contrast to the spectacle in the south of the islands, there is extravagance. The New Year's Eve chimes, broadcast from Gáldar and Arucas by TV Canaria and TVE, have sparked criticism and disappointment. In the case of Gáldar, the event has been perceived as a political nod from Coalición Canaria to Teodoro Sosa (BNR), a prominent figure in the municipality, which has taken away neutrality from the event. For its part, the choice of Arucas has generated scepticism, linked to the only Canarian minister in Madrid, from the PSOE, a party that, despite its historical differences with the PP, maintains local political alliances that contrast with the speeches of historical memory of figures such as Ángel Víctor Torres.
Beyond the political controversy, critics have also pointed to a strategic error in promoting tourism: Unlike Telecinco, which focused on a tourist area, the official channels seem to have ignored destinations such as the south of Gran Canaria, a tourist epicentre with hotel beds and services capable of attracting an international audience. This approach has left the feeling that the chimes, far from being a showcase for global projection, have become an exercise in local promotion with little real impact on the tourist scene.
The change of year in Maspalomas, abandoned by the official channels, has marked a trend that reflects the change in consumer habits: fewer and fewer people follow the traditional chimes on television, opting instead for digital networks as the preferred platform to experience the beginning of the new year. In this emblematic tourist enclave, where innovation and modernity are part of everyday life, the end of year celebrations have taken on a more dynamic, interactive character, adapted to the new generations.
With this phenomenon, Maspalomas is distancing itself from what some consider to be a "garbage" television show in the traditional New Year's Eve chimes, offering more attractive experiences for locals and tourists. Social networks, live broadcasts from iconic events, and personalized content have turned New Year's Eve in the south of Gran Canaria into a fresh event adapted to the trends of the 21st century, leaving behind the old formulas that have fewer and fewer viewers.
