Explore 20 events and festivals in Las Palmas, Canary Islands throughout 2026.
The Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is one of the world's great carnivals, running from January 23 to March 1 under the 2026 theme Las Vegas. Key events include the grand parade of carnival groups, children's carnival at Plaza de la Feria, and the spectacular main float parade on February 28. The weeks-long celebration fills the city's streets, stages, and beaches with music, dance, and elaborate costumes in a festival only Tenerife rivals in Spain.
Every year the mountain town of Tejeda bursts into pink and white as thousands of almond trees come into bloom, prompting a days-long festival rooted in Canarian rural tradition. The 2026 edition opens January 31 before main events on February 6–8, featuring folk music, Canarian wrestling, local gastronomy, and walks through the blossoming orchards. The spectacular backdrop of the Roque Nublo massif makes this one of Gran Canaria's most photographed seasonal celebrations.
The Copa del Rey de Baloncesto is the premier knockout cup competition in Spanish professional basketball, organized by the ACB and contested by the league's top eight clubs over a single February weekend. The 2026 edition marks the 90th anniversary of the tournament, bringing together the best squads in the country for four days of high-stakes basketball at the Gran Canaria Arena. The single-elimination format guarantees intense matches, with each club knowing any defeat ends their Cup run.
Transgrancanaria is one of the world's most demanding ultramarathon events, sending runners across the dramatic volcanic terrain of Gran Canaria from the north coast to the south through the island's rugged interior. The 27th edition in 2026 runs March 4–8 and offers distances from the 125 km classic route to a family-friendly 5 km trail, catering to seasoned ultra-runners and newcomers alike. Participants tackle punishing elevation gains through pine forests, ancient paths, and volcanic peaks with Atlantic views.
The Canary Islands Tango Festival brings tangueros from around the world to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for a week-long immersion in Argentine tango culture, running March 9–15. Milongas, workshops, and performance stages fill with dancers and instructors of international renown, set against the mild Atlantic climate. The combination of expert teaching, late-night social dancing, and the island setting has made it one of the most popular tango festivals on the European winter circuit.
The Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival is one of Spain's most respected arthouse cinema showcases, programmed around contemporary independent and auteur cinema from around the world. Held each spring across city venues, the festival presents competition and non-competition sections for features, documentaries, and shorts, alongside retrospectives and industry events. Its commitment to experimental and emerging voices has earned it a reputation as a key fixture on the European film festival circuit.
Maspalomas Pride is one of Europe's largest LGBTQ+ celebrations, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors to the sun-drenched southern tip of Gran Canaria each May. Set against the iconic Maspalomas dunes and beaches, the ten-day festival fills the resort with free outdoor concerts, shows, parties, and a spectacular pride parade along the seafront. The warm climate and open atmosphere of the Canary Islands have made Maspalomas a globally recognized destination for Pride travel.
On June 24, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria marks the anniversary of its founding in 1478 with a day of civic celebration centered on the historic Vegueta neighborhood where the city was born. The program includes outdoor concerts, traditional dances, and a fireworks display over Playa de Las Canteras that lights up the Atlantic horizon. Locals dressed in white with yellow scarves join communal activities that connect the modern city to its centuries-old origins.
Granca Live Fest transforms the Gran Canaria Stadium into the Canary Islands' biggest outdoor concert venue each summer, hosting a three-day lineup of Spanish and international pop and urban artists. The 2026 July edition features headliners including Aitana, Dani MartĂn, and Alejandro Sanz, drawing massive crowds to the island capital for back-to-back arena-scale performances. The festival has rapidly established itself as the defining music event of Gran Canaria's summer calendar.
The Festival Internacional Canarias Jazz & Más Heineken is one of Spain's longest-running jazz events, staging world-class performances across Las Palmas de Gran Canaria each July in a blend of free and ticketed concerts. The eclectic programming spans jazz, gospel, R&B, and world music, drawing performers with extensive international credentials alongside rising talent. Atlantic evenings on outdoor plazas and intimate theatre stages give the festival a distinctive character unlike any other jazz event in Spain.
In the fishing district of La Isleta, the feast of Our Lady of Carmen — patron saint of sailors and fishermen — is the neighborhood's most cherished annual event, celebrated across three weeks from July 6 to 26. The highlight on July 16 is the maritime procession, when the statue of the Virgen del Carmen is carried aboard a decorated boat through the harbor as a flotilla escorts her across the bay, with colorful flower carpets lining the surrounding streets. Religious devotion and communal festivity intertwine in one of Las Palmas's most authentic barrio celebrations.
A second cycle of Granca Live Fest brings the Gran Canaria Stadium to life again in late August for three nights of live music headlined by top Spanish and international artists. The festival format mirrors the July edition, turning the island capital's largest venue into an open-air arena for high-production concert experiences under the Atlantic sky. Together the two Granca Live Fest windows make Gran Canaria one of Spain's most active summer music destinations.
Las MarĂas Monday is a beloved rural celebration in the mountain village of Tejeda, held on the Monday following the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary each September. The day draws locals and visitors to the village for traditional Canarian folk music, dances, and a hearty spread of local foods including the almonds and honey for which Tejeda is renowned. The festival retains a genuinely community-oriented character that sets it apart from larger commercial events on the island.
MASDANZA is the Canary Islands' premier platform for international contemporary dance, presented across Gran Canaria each October with performances spanning Las Palmas and smaller municipalities throughout the island. The festival's diverse programming covers experimental solos to large ensemble works, championing both established choreographers and emerging voices from around the world. The 2026 edition marks the 30th anniversary of MASDANZA, reinforcing its status as one of Spain's most important dance events.
The Gran Canaria Big Bang Vintage Festival is a rock 'n' roll and retro culture celebration held at Parque de San Telmo in Las Palmas, gathering live music, vintage fashion shows, DJs, markets, and tattoo conventions in a weekend tribute to mid-20th-century style. The festival draws enthusiasts of classic rock, rockabilly, and swing from across Europe, turning the park into a gathering of carefully restored cars, pin-up fashion, and energetic live performances. A special Thursday opener kicks off the full weekend program.
WOMEX — the Worldwide Music Expo — returns to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for its 32nd edition in October 2026, marking only the second time the Canary Islands will host this prestigious global gathering. The five-day program combines a major trade fair, artist showcases from every corner of the globe, film screenings, and award ceremonies, attracting thousands of music industry delegates from over 100 countries. Gran Canaria's position at the crossroads of Europe, Africa, and the Americas makes it a fitting stage for a festival dedicated to the world's musical diversity.
The Open LPA Surf City is Las Palmas de Gran Canaria's premier competitive surfing event, staged at La CĂcer on Playa de Las Canteras, one of the most celebrated urban surf breaks in Europe. The competition draws top professional and amateur surfers, taking advantage of the Atlantic swells that roll reliably into the bay's protected waters from autumn through December. Las Palmas's reputation as a year-round surf city makes this event a showcase for the sport at the heart of the city's maritime identity.
WOMAD Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is the Canary Islands edition of the globally beloved World of Music, Arts and Dance festival, first created by Peter Gabriel in 1982 as a celebration of music from every culture. The festival brings world music artists, storytellers, dancers, and family activities to Gran Canaria's capital, with free and ticketed performances spreading across outdoor stages and public spaces. The island's Atlantic convergence of European, African, and Latin American influences makes a natural home for WOMAD's cross-cultural spirit.
The Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) is the world's largest ocean yacht rally, dispatching over 200 boats and 1,200 sailors across 2,700 nautical miles from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria to Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia. The late-November departure takes advantage of the northeast trade winds, making Gran Canaria the traditional launchpad for bluewater sailors heading west. The weeks of preparation in Las Palmas before departure — with crews making final checks, attending briefings, and celebrating together — draw as much interest as the start itself.
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria fills with Christmas spirit each December through a network of markets spread across the city's neighborhoods, from the main market on Rambla Mesa y López near El Corte Inglés to charming fairs in the historic district of Vegueta and surrounding towns like Teror. Stalls offer Canarian artisan crafts, local products, street food, and seasonal gifts, with markets open daily from late November through January 5. The mild December climate makes outdoor Christmas shopping in Las Palmas a uniquely pleasant experience compared to its northern European counterparts.