A memorable edition comes to a close, in which "it rained coffee in the countryside" while in Maspalomas there was "a circus that always gladdened the heart."
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The 2026 Maspalomas International Carnival came to a close today with the Burial of the Sardine and a tribute concert to Juan Luis Guerra. After weeks of intense activity under the theme of "The World of the Circus," the funeral procession departed from the Yumbo Shopping Center for the Playa del Inglés Annex, surrounded by a crowd of onlookers, especially tourists who enjoyed the satirical mourning and festive spirit of the event. The parade featured the Agaete Band and the Isleña Band, along with the rhythms of the Yoruba and Chiramay troupes, and the powerful percussion groups Caribe Creando Escuela and Paixao, who set the pace for a night blessed with beautiful weather.
The funeral procession was led by some of the festival's iconic figures, headed by the Bishop of Carnival, who this year celebrated his 15th anniversary of participating uninterruptedly in the event. Alongside him, the priest, nuns, and a legion of inconsolable widows performed the customary wails and cries, which, far from causing sadness, brought smiles to the faces of the crowd throughout the procession. It's worth noting that the sardine, of which only photographs remain, was an ephemeral work of art designed by Masbe Creaciones and created in collaboration with the "Los ángeles de techar una mano" Association of El Tablero. Interestingly, this year the sardine could not be rescued on Friday, as tradition dictates, due to the cancellation of the event caused by adverse weather conditions that affected the area in the days prior.
The municipal corporation participated in the procession. The mayor, Marco Aurelio Pérez, the first deputy mayor, Alejandro Marichal, and the councilor for Tourism, Festivities, and Events, Yilenia Vega, accompanied the deceased on her final journey to the coast. After the burning of the sardine on the shore of Playa del Inglés, the festivities didn't end, but rather transformed into a celebration of life and music with a massive tribute concert to Juan Luis Guerra entitled "Bachata Rosa." Attendees were able to overcome the sadness of the end of this year's carnival by dancing to the hits of the Dominican artist.
Thus concluded one of the longest editions of the southern carnival in recent memory, an organizational effort that overcame adversity, even if it meant extending the magic of carnival into Holy Week. Carnival and Lent met once again in Maspalomas to close a memorable edition in which "it rained coffee in the countryside" while there was "a circus that always warmed the heart."
