The Maspalomas Carnival in 2023, in the south of Gran Canaria, will be held this year from the 9th to the 19th of March 2023. Bear in mind that the dates of the southern carnivals change every year and, in the case of Maspalomas, they always take place after the Carnival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The International Carnival of Maspalomas is one of the most touristic of the island. At the same time, many locals come to the south to celebrate it, especially on the day of the parade. Here are the most important dates of the 2023 programme.

Maspalomas Carnival 2023 programme
Unlike the carnival in the capital, the Maspalomas Carnival is a fun event that takes place in the street, although its programme of events is somewhat more compressed. We highlight the big Parade as the day with the highest number of people, as well as the election of the Drag Queen. The Drag Queen Election originated in Maspalomas in 1986 as the “Miss Trevestikarnatival Election” and moved to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in 1998 under the name “Drag Queen”. Finally, the Day Carnival in Playa del Inglés is also a much awaited carnival festival.
Maspalomas Drag Queen Gala 2023
Thursday 16th March 2023
Maspalomas Carnival Parade 2023
Saturday 18th March 2023
Below, you can see the Maspalomas Carnival 2023 programme published by the San Bartolomé de Tirajana Town Hall. Remember that it may be subject to changes that do not depend on us. If you have any questions, you can leave a comment and we will try to help you.
Date | Event | Time & Place |
---|---|---|
Thursday 9th March 2023 | Opening show & Senior Queen Gala | 8:30 pm Yumbo |
Friday 10th March 2023 | Children’s Reign Gala Mogollón | 7:30 pm Yumbo 11:00 pm Yumbo |
Saturday 11th March 2023 | Carnival Queen Gala Concert & “Mogollón” street party | 9:00 pm Yumbo 11:00 pm Yumbo |
Sunday 12th March 2023 | Carnival troupe show | 9:00 pm Yumbo |
Monday 13th March 2023 | “No barriers” show | 6:00 pm Yumbo |
Tuesday 14th March 2023 | Choreographic Festival | 8:00 pm Yumbo |
Wednesday 15th March 2023 | Canine Carnival (dog and companion) | 5:00 pm Yumbo |
Thursday 16th March 2023 | Drag Queen Gala “Mogollón” street party | 9:00 pm Yumbo 11:30 pm Yumbo |
Friday 17th March 2023 | Rescue of the Sardine Tourist Gala “Mogollón” street party | 12:00 am Maspalomas 9:00 pm Yumbo 11:00 pm Yumbo |
Saturday 18th March 2023 | Maspalomas Carnival Parade “Gran Mogollón” big street party | 5:00 pm P. del Inglés 10:00 pm Yumbo |
Sunday 19th March 2023 | Sardine Parade Reading of the Sardine last’s will Burial of the Sardine & fireworks | 7:00 pm Anexo II 8:00 pm Anexo II 8:30 pm Anexo II |
In principle, the parade will follow the same route as always from Playa del Inglés (El Veril) in the direction of the park Parque Sur. On the other hand, if you want to go out at night in costume, the Carnival street party (mogollón in Spanish) is concentrated in the area of the Yumbo Shopping Centre. Finally, if you want to go to a discotheque, we invite you to take a look at our article about nightlife in Gran Canaria (end of the article – south area). By the way, mogollón in Spanish means “a very large quantity” and in this context refers to number of people. On Saturday 18th March Playa del Inglés will be SUPER CROWDED and streets will close due to the Big Parade.
Theme of the Carnivals
Regarding the theme of the southern carnival, as you could see in the official poster of the Carnival of Maspalomas in 2023, this year it’s all about “Latin Rhythms“. So you can start looking for your maracas and preparing your costume if you don’t already have one.

Guides to Gran Canaria
Finally, if you are visiting the island for the first time, here are some articles from our blog that may be of interest to you:
As you can see, on our website you will find lots of free content on things to do in Gran Canaria and places to eat. On the other hand, if you don’t feel like wasting your time looking for places to visit and restaurants, take a look at our guides with itineraries ready for you.

Hi, could you show parade route in the map? Please.