The Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival is above all the grand chicharrera celebration, a festivity filled with history, emotion, custom, and culture. Every Santacrucero or Santacrucera is connected to Carnival in some way, with family albums adorned with costumed photos or a box labelled “Carnival Costumes” stashed away all year, waiting to be opened in February or March. However, the Santa Cruz Carnival also acts as a financial support for the city and the Island: It is estimated that this annual festival generates an economic impact of around 40 million euros on the local economy. In fact, the Carnival itself serves as a tourist attraction, boosting recognition, enhancing the city’s image and providing exceptional national and international promotion for Santa Cruz. For instance, the 2023 Carnival resulted in over 4,000 news features in the press, radio, television, and digital media. These media impacts would equate to a promotional investment of 15 million euros within a single month. Moreover, the previous year’s celebration recorded a record-breaking 19 million interactions solely through official social media profiles.
In this regard, Carmen Pérez, the CEO of the Development Society, underlined that “our Carnival is not just a huge celebration, it also serves as a significant economic driver for the city,” also adding, “among residents and tourists, we estimate an influx of between 350,000 – 400,000 people with expenditure nearing 40 million euros in the city, across local businesses, hotels, shops, restaurants, and service companies.” Pérez also elucidated that “the Santa Cruz Carnival holds the distinction of being officially declared a ‘Festival of International Tourist Interest’, it is also one of the safest Carnivals globally, and our efforts must concentrate on persistently promoting it both nationally and internationally, as it is a distinguishing attribute and an important resource for the tourism promotion of Santa Cruz.”
An Enticing Affair
Aside from the influx of residents from all over the Island, which, according to studies by the Socioeconomic Observatory of the Development Society, lures 34% of Tenerife residents to some Carnival activity or event, another significant figure revolves around the attraction of tourists from other regions within the Island, the Archipelago, or beyond the Canary Islands. This influx translates into high occupancy rates for accommodation establishments in Santa Cruz. It is anticipated, for instance, that hotel occupancy rates will surpass last year’s figures, which were sustained at 75% throughout the 10 days of Carnival on the streets, nearly reaching 100% on notable days (Fridays, Saturdays, and Carnival Mondays). In total, it is expected that approximately 185,000 tourists will visit the city. In addition to those staying elsewhere on the Island, we must factor in the 11 cruises scheduled for these 10 days. This financial impact also ripples into non-hotel accommodations, with closed dates months in advance, as well as various businesses; from toy stores to haberdasheries, from restaurants to bazaars, where Carnival plays a pivotal role in their financial records. In summary, the celebration of the Santa Cruz Carnival propels the economy of the Tenerife capital.
Street Dancing
The essence of this festival lies in the streets, in that connection between people and their Carnival. And the streets deliver. The year 2024 is shaping up to mark the year of consolidation, decisively leaving the pandemic effect behind. In fact, It was estimated that in the first weekend alone, around 300,000 people revelled in the parade and the dances on Friday night, Saturday, and the entire Sunday. Tens of thousands also did so on Carnival Monday and the awe-inspiring Coso. Looking ahead, the piñata, especially the special one on Saturday, has evolved as a massive magnet for the festivity: harking back 5 years to 2019, the piñata concert featuring Juan Luis Guerra drew a crowd of 400,000 carnival attendees, a record that stands tall alongside the famed dance to the rhythm of Celia Cruz, an entry in the Guinness Book of Records since 1987. In the last instance, with Óscar de León headlining, the participation throughout The Day Carnival reached 420,000 people. Therefore, expectations are high for this year, notably featuring artists such as Luis Fonsi, Joseph Fonseca, and Kinito Méndez.
Fantasy Gala
Scribble down the time: 7:30 p.m. And the locale: Anaga Avenue – Francisco La Roche stage. The rendezvous is this Piñata Saturday. And the maestro who will captivate the entire island with his rendition of “Despacito” is Luis Fonsi. It will be an expansive open-air concert, poised to draw tens of thousands of Mascartians. The Puerto Rican, renowned for hits such as “I Don’t Give Up”, “Imagine Me Without You”, “Calypso”, and “Blame Me”, descends upon Santa Cruz less than 24 hours after performing at the Wizink Center in Madrid, with a sold-out show, celebrating his 25 years in the music industry. A little later, at 10:00 p.m., another great highlight of the Carnival Day lineup will take the stage: Joseph Fonseca, set to have the entire audience swaying to merengue and bachata. The Puerto Rican also boasts in his repertoire authentic classics that perennially grace the dances of each Chicharrero Carnival, including “Fantasy Nights”, “Raise Your Hand”, and “The Stick Horse”.
