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Carnival in Gran Canaria

Carnival in Gran Canaria usually starts at the end of January or the beginning of February. It varies from year to year. Different towns take turns, so that people who love to participate can attend the different events. The most popular carnival celebration takes place in the capital, Las Palmas, and lasts between two and three weeks. 

This city's main carnival events are the Carnival Queen Contest, and the world famous Drag Queen Contest. Shortly after the carnival finishes in the capital, it starts in the south. The main events of the Maspalomas carnival are also the Carnival Queen Contest and the Maspalomas Drag Queen Contest.

This year 2013's Queen Contest had ten candidates. The event lasted a little over two hours and was held, like every year, in the heart of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria's Parque Santa Catalina, on February 1st. Some of the dresses were up to four and a half meters tall, and weighed up to a hundred kilos. To be able to move them, there were wheels under some of them. The jury that chose the queen was made up of a combination of a jury present at the event, and TV viewers who could vote by phone.

Below are the candidates for one of the most important events of carnival in Gran Canaria. You can have a look at all of them, and then chose your favourite.  The winners are at the bottom of the page.

Candidate number 1, Patricia Montesdeoca, wore a pink and white dress called "Tánagra Rosé," and was sponsored by Parque Comercial Jinámar, Las Terrazas y El Mirador. It was designed by Alberto Robaina and Gran Canaria Diseños.

Candidate number 2, Cristina Vega, wore a blue, green, and golden dress, called "¡Sueña conmigo!" ("Dream of me!"), and was sponsored by Centro Comercial Alcampo Telde. It was designed by Fernando Méndez.

Candidate number 3, Elisabeth Suárez Cedrés, wore a dress with golden sea horses, called "Elixir." She was sponsored by Centro Comercial y de Ocio 7 Palmas, and the dress was designed by Julio Vicente Artiles.

Candidate number 4, Zumaya Morán, wore a dress full of colourful stars, called "La Nuit." She was sponsored by Grupo Ralons and Seguridad Integral Canaria. The dress was designed by Julio Vicente Artiles.

Candidate number 5, Moneiba Álvarez, wore a dress on stilts, called "Un solo baile" ("Just one dance") and was sponsored by the open top red tourist bus operated by City Sightseeing Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The designers were Erio Orofino, Federico Lovati, Bernabé Ubay García, and Muncrea Producciones.

Candidate number 6, Paula Miranda, wore a dress with huge masks, called "Enigma." The sponsor of this dress was the Atlantico Shopping Centre of Vecindario. It was designed by Manuel Encinoso Quintana and Begoña Pérez Quevedo.

Candidate number 7, Giovanna Lee Alfonso, wore a white and silver dress called "Lágrimas por Ti" ("Tears for you"), and was sponsored by Terraza Kopa. It was designed by Willie Díaz.

Candidate number 8, Jennifer Krubbo, also wore a white and silver dress, called "La Venus de Ébano" ("The Ebony Venus"), and was sponsored by Restaurante Italiano Riccadonna. It was designed by Fernando Méndez.

Candidate number 9, Elisabeth Ramos Sosa, wore a golden and green dress called "Topcapy", sponsored by the local air conditioning company Airvema Insular S.L. The designer of this dress was Miguel Cruz Marrero.

Candidate number 10, Carolina Cruz Pérez, wore a dress with lots of blue and green feathers, called "Sólo el cielo lo sabe" ("Only heaven knows"), sponsored by Depilación Laser Canarias, and designed by Miguel Cruz Marrero.

And the winner is....

Candidate number 7, eighteen year-old Giovanna Lee Alfonso. She is pictured below with last year's queen and the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria city mayor, Juan José Cardona.

We would like to thank all the participants of the event and especially the ten candidates who participated in the Carnival in Gran Canaria Queen Contest. All of them deserve to be the winners for the effort and energy they put in.

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