Jump to #WeekendTipsThe weekend ahead on Gran Canaria will feature Carnival celebrations as well the European Cheese Fair celebrated in Guía. Following both the warmest January and February since records began on the Canary Islands, the month of March has been marked by much needed rain so far this year, at least in large parts of the island, particularly the north, with some more gentle rain likely over the next few days.
Carnival celebrations in Maspalomas have just started. There are carnival parades to enjoy this weekend in Telde and Vecindario in Santa Lucía de Tirajana. And if that is still not enough, there are more festivities taking place in Agaete, La Aldea and in Carrizal (Ingenio).
International Women’s Day, 8M is also celebrated this Friday and there are cultural events around the island throughout the month. The Lighthouse of Maspalomas will be lit up at 18:30 in the south on Friday together with municipal offices.
15-17 March • Big Bang Vintage Market @ CC Las Arenas
15-24 March • The 13th Southern Springtime Artisan Craft Fair @ Faro de Maspalomas
23 March • Feria Mujer Rural – fair in Fataga
5-7 April • ENORTE in Gáldar
5-14 April • Fiestas Santa Águeda 2024 – Arguineguín, El Pajar
8-20 April • Jazz Festival Puerto de Mogán – Richard Leach Jazz Band
13-20 April • ESPAL 2024
19-21 April • ‘Gran Canaria Me Gusta’ – Fair @ INFECAR
2-4 May • Rally Islas Canarias
30 May • Día de Canarias
7-9 June • FIMAR, International Sea Fair LPA
12-16 June • FISALDO – Outlet Sale @ INFECAR
19-21 July • Maspalomas Soul Festival
Upcoming bank holidays:
Tuesday 19 March • Local bank holiday in Santa María de Guía: Festividad de San José
Thursday 28 March • Public Holiday in The Canary Islands – Holy Thursday/Jueves Santo
Friday 29 March • Public Holiday in Spain – Holy Friday/Viernes Santo
Wednesday 1 May • Public Holiday in Spain – MayDay, Fiesta del Trabajo
Monday 13 May • Local bank holiday in Vega de San Mateo: Festividad en honor a la Virgen de Fátima.
Find more events and festivities at The Canary Guide calendar
A mixed weather weekend is ahead with some sunshine, clouds, and possible rain showers. Overall lovely March temperatures are predicted around the island with highs above 20ºC in the shade.
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- AEMET Weather forecast Sunday 10 March 2024
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- AEMET Weather forecast Saturday 9 March 2024 (3pm)
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- AEMET Weather forecast Friday 8 March 2024 (3pm)
Friday: In the north, cloudy skies with the probability of occasional weak rains until midday, mainly in the midlands. In the afternoon it will tend towards slightly cloudy or clear skies, increasing cloudiness again at the end of the day. In the rest of the areas, slightly cloudy or clear skies, with cloudy intervals during the afternoon. Minimum temperatures with few changes. Maximums in slight to moderate descent, being more significant in inland areas and on the southern slopes. North winds turning northwest from midday.
Saturday: Cloudy intervals with a predominance of cloudy skies on southern slopes in the afternoon. Probability of generally weak and occasional rains during the first half of the day in the north of the mountains, without ruling them out in areas of the southern interior in the afternoon. Temperatures with few changes or with slight decreases in maximum temperatures. Moderate northwest wind turning north.
Sunday: Cloudy intervals with abundant high cloudiness. Low probability of weak and occasional rains in the north of the islands of greater relief during the first half of the day. Temperatures are unchanged or slightly decreasing. Moderate wind from the north, turning northeast in low areas.
The Canary Guide
#WeekendTips 8-10 March 2024
MASPALOMAS INTERNATIONAL CARNIVAL | 7-17 MARCH
The Maspalomas International Carnival 2024 is celebrated between 7 – 17 March. The Carnival celebrates its 50th Anniversary by adding to its events the Children’s Parade and the Under the Sun Concert on the beach. The allegory this year is “Recuerdos de la television“, Television memories.
All galas and carnival parties (Mogollón) are held in the Shopping Centre Yumbo
at 20:00 Presentation of the Carnival candidates at Faro de Maspalomas, the Lighthouse of Maspalomas.
The Gala announces the candidates who this year aspire to the different reigns of the Maspalomas Carnival 2024. This will be a free gala, open to the public who want to meet and support the candidates.
at 20:30 Opening Gala
+ Grand Dame Gala
at 19:30 Children’s Reign Gala
at 23:00 Mogollón, Carnival Party
at 21:00 Queen’s Gala ** Ticket event (free) ***
at 23:00 Mogollón, Carnival Party
at 11:00 Children’s Parade
The parade route is from Mirador de las Dunas de Maspalomas and arrives at the Yumbo Shopping Centre, where several activities have been organised for the little ones in the house.
at 21:00 Meeting of the Comparsas. Light, colour, and music of the Comparsas will be displayed in a meeting where the undisputed protagonist will be rhythm.
at 18:00 Without Barriers Gala
at 19:00 Choreography festival.
Students of different dance schools participate.
Wednesday 13 March: at CC Yumbo
at 17:00 Canine Carnival
at 21:00 Drag Queen Gala (***Ticket event)
*** Online tickets or you can get them from the ticket office at Yumbo, limited to 2 tickets per person.
at 23:00 Mogollón, Carnival Party
at 12:00 The Rescue of the Sardine procession from the Charca de Maspalomas to Playa del Inglés
at 14:30 Carnival in the Sun – concert at CC Anexo II
at 21:00 Tourist Gala
at 23:00 Mogollón, Carnival Party
at 17:00 Carnival Parade
Departure takes place from the entrance to Playa del Inglés through El Veril.
Route: Parque Tropical, Avda. de Itallia, Avda. de Gran Canaria, Avda. 8 De Marzo, to Touroperador TUI.
at 20:00 Mogollón, Carnival Party
at 19:00 Sardine’s procession from Avda de España, Avda. 8 De Marzo to CC Anexo II
at 2o:00 Reading of the Last Testament
at 20:30 Funeral of the Sardine
at 21:00 concert and fireworks
SANTA MARIA DE GUÍA | EUROPEAN CHEESE FAIR 2024 | 9-10 MARCH
The 7th edition of the European Cheese Fair, ‘La Feria Europea del Queso‘ 2024 is held in the cheese capital of the Island, Santa María de Guía this Saturday and Sunday. 
• This is an event framed in the European Cheese Route, with a forecast of a massive influx of visitors who are passionate about cheese and there will be thousands of kilos for sale, as has been the case in the previous editions.
During that weekend you will be able to find more than 30 cheese factories, coming from the rest of the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands, the Peninsula, and Portugal, in addition to the artisanal cheese factories from the Island of Gran Canaria.
• This year the event will be held at the facilities of the Santa María de Guía Regional Market ‘MERCADO DE GUÍA. The fair is open on Saturday from 10:00-19:00 and on Sunday from 10:00-15:00.
• The event will be enlivened with musical performances, cheese tasting, and agri-food products as well as guided tours of the historic centre of Guía, children’s workshops, exhibitions related to the primary sector, and plenty more cheese.
Tastings: During the two days of the fair you can attend different tastings of cheeses and agri-food products offered by the Government of the Canary Islands, through the Canarian Institute of Agri-Food Quality and the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, through the Ministry of Primary Sector, Food Sovereignty and Water Security (upper floor of the Market)
Exhibition: During the fair, visitors will be able to visit the exhibition ‘La Mudá: Transhumants in Gran Canaria’ carried out by the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, through the Historical Heritage Service of the Ministry of the Presidency and Sustainable Mobility, which highlights the relevance of intangible heritage. which represents the activity of transhumance on the Island.
The opening hours of the Guía Gastromercado are extended during Fair hours, remaining open until 02:00 on Saturday and until 18:00 on Sunday.
This Fair is organised in collaboration with the European Cheese Route Association, which was born in 2014 with the aim of joining efforts from different European local entities to make cheese a strategic axis of local economic development. The Commonwealth of North of Gran Canaria was integrated into this network of municipalities in April 2017.
The Canary Islands are one of the territories where the most cheese is consumed in all of Spain, with an average intake of 11.10 kilos per person per year, followed by the Balearic Islands, with 9.53 kilos; Asturias, with 9.35 kilos; and Valencia, with 8.60 kilos; compared to the 7.8 kilos national average, although lower than the European average (17.2 kilos), according to the latest Food Consumption Report prepared by the Ministry of Industry and Food.
Our Archipelago currently has a total of three Designations of Origin: Queso Palmero, Queso Majorero and Queso de Flor y Media Flor de Guía, although all the islands have excellent cheeses recognized in national and international competitions. Canarian cheeses have achieved a total of 38 medals at the 2023 World Cheese Awards, the most important international competition in this sector.
VECINDARIO - SANTA LUCÍA CARNIVAL 2024 | UNTIL 9 MARCH
Santa Lucía de Tirajana is celebrating Carnival 2024 between 29 February – 9 March in Vecindario. The theme this year is “Saturday Night Fever, the ’70s” / Fiebre del sábado noche, los años 70.
Night Fever Disco-Latina
at 21:00 DJ Ulises Acosta
at 2230 Star Music
at 00:30 Dj Sesión Tony Bob
– Recinto Ferial de Vecindario
at 18:30 Carnival Parade
A parade of floats and masks will travel along Avenida de Canarias from El Cruce Sardina to El Doctoral
at 21:00 Línea DJ
at 22:00 Leyenda Joven
at 00.30 El Combo Dominicano
– Recinto Ferial de Vecindario
TELDE CARNIVAL | 1-13 MARCH
Telde started celebrating its 2024 Carnival a week ago, the Friday 1st of March and the festivities will conclude on 13 March. The allegory this year is Circus, circo.
This weekend:
Friday 8 March:
at 21:00 Drag Queen Gala in Auditorio (José Vélez) del Parque Urbano de San Juan
(The José Vélez Auditorium will open its doors one hour before the celebration and will allow the public to enter for free)
at 23:00 DJ Promaster in auditorio José Vélez
at 23:00 Concert by Tataband, DJ Estro and Javi Perera at Parque de San Juan
Saturday 9 March:
at 17:00 The Carnival Parade
This is the longest Carnival parade in Telde’s history 🚎🎉 🎭 It is a 3,823-meter route, which doubles last year’s 1.8 km and will run through the streets of the city centre.
*Route: Avda. del Cabildo Insular dirección bajada(Ramblas Arnao, carril subida), Rotonda Daora, Avda. Del Cabildo dirección subida( Ramblas Arnao, carril bajada), C/ Poeta Fernando González, C/ Ruiz, C/ Obispo Verdugo, C/ Ramblas Pedro Lezcano,C/ Ocho de Marzo, C/ Poeta Pablo Neruda, Rotonda Daora, Avda. Del Cabildo Insular (carril subida), C/ Inspectora Farmacéutica Mª del Pino Suárez López, C/ León y Castillo, C/ Juan Carlos I, Avda. Pedro Agustín del Castillo, Circunvalación(GC-100), Primera salida hacia rotonda La Zarza, C/ Músico Victor Ureña, C/ Prof. Lucas Arencibia Gil.
at 23:00 DJ Promaster in Auditorio José Vélez
at 23:00 Concert by Tataband, DJ Estro and Javi Perera at Parque de San Juan
AGAETE CARNIVAL | 8-17 MARCH
The municipality will become a great circus party to welcome clowns, acrobats, fantastic beings, tightrope walkers, and every vibrant world of inspiration that fits under the great “tent” of the Agaete circus. The Agaete carnival celebration, which this year presents the allegory El mundo del circo’, The World of the Circus, will feature several performances, including the Comparsa Aragüime, the Drag Vulcano and Tamito and will continue with its traditional Carnival night enlivened by Ritmo Bakano.
On Friday, 8 March:
at 21:00 The Carnival Gala will kick off the Agaete Carnival in the Plaza de la Constitución, followed by a festive party with Ritmo Bakano
On Saturday, 9 March:
The Day Carnival is celebrated in Plaza de la Constitución in a day full of music performances, parties, and fun.
at 14:00 Tacones Rojos
at 15:30 DJ Aythami
at 16:40 Tataband will perform and at 18:00 it will be Bombazo Latino’s turn
at 20:00 Son del Caney will perform and at 22:00 Tamarindos will take the stage finally, at midnight, StarMusic will make the Agaetense audience dance.
On Sunday, 10 March :
at 12:30 The children’s Carnival dance, which will be accompanied by activities for the little ones and a performance by Los Musipops
at 18:30 to end the carnival weekend, the Elders Carnival Dance by Haché Tamarindos in the municipal park
MORE CARNIVAL FESTIVITIES; LA ALDEA, CARRIZAL IN INGENiO
CARNIVAL LA ALDEA DE SAN NICOLÁS 24 FEBRUARY – 9 MARCH
The allegory for this year’s festivities is ‘Le Cinéma’. The municipality will become a large film set in which there will be no shortage of characters from classic cinema such as Charlot or the Lumiére brothers.
Saturday 9 March:
at 18:00 The traditional burial of the sea bream, which will leave with its funeral procession from the Los Picos warehouse. All this will be enlivened by Charanga La Aldea and DJ Nichel B.
at 22:30 to end with a good taste in the mouth after the burial of the bream, the second big party of these carnival festivities will take place in the Community Development Project Plaza of La Aldea and will be entertained by DJ Nichel B and Armonía Show.
DAY AND TRADITIONAL CARNIVAL CARRIZAL – SATURDAY, 9 MARCH
Carrizal in the municipality of Ingenio is celebrating their Daytime and Traditional Carnival this Saturday.
This special day of celebration, taking place in the Plaza del Buen Suceso, offers a wide variety of activities for all ages.
11:00-14:00 children’s activities from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
at 12:00 performances by various murgas
at 14:00 concert by Charcojondo
at 15:30 festival of traditional carnival with Nueva Imagen,
at 17:00 DJ music by Paco Sánchez,
at 18:30 the De Belingo band
at 19:30 traditional dances with the AFC Guayadeque de Carrizal
at 20:30 the concert by Maldita EGB group will close the day of festivities
GRAN CANARIA - VECINDARIO MARKET | SATURDAY 9 MARCH
The biweekly Saturday Agricultural Market, Mercado Agrícola de Vecindario in Vecindario takes place on the main street at the Plaza de Los Algodoneros (next to the Hotel Avenida de Canarias ) 
Get the best seasonal fruit and vegetables, bread, flowers, and much more, straight from the local farmers and producers.
From 08:30 – 13:30 Plaza de Los Algodoneros
“It is also the perfect opportunity to explore the kilometres-long main street of this neighbourhood, Avenida de Canarias.”
MARKETS IN THE SOUTH OF GRAN CANARIA THIS WEEKEND
• Friday is always market day in Playa de Mogán in the morning. This popular market is in one of the prettiest fishing harbour towns on Gran Canaria, very popular with tourists.
• On Saturday, the Maspalomas market offers all kinds of textiles, Objet d‘art and other articles, located now in a new venue at Parque Europeo in Playa del Inglés, while the municipal market is being re-built. It is one of the markets most enjoyed among visitors along with Friday’s in Playa de Mogán;
El Mercadillo de Maspalomas is on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 08:00-14:00.
• On Saturday in Arguineguín, a small second-hand market on Plaza Negra (the marketplace) in the morning 09:00-14:00 with a wide range pre-loved treasures.
• On Sunday, the “rastro” second-hand market, ****The second-hand market now takes place in the Ciudad deportiva de Maspalomas, next to football field 2 and close to Pepe Chiringo and Parque Sur de Maspalomas.
• This Sunday, the little Farmers’ and Artisan Market in the little urban area of Puerto Rico de Gran Canaria on the main road, just in front of the Angry Birds Activity Park.
