Santa Cruz de Tenerife presents yet another weekend with the finest cultural and recreational offerings on the island, presenting a blend of accessible activities suitable for the entire family, with the performing arts taking centre stage. Throughout every corner of the city, theatres, galleries, and public squares spring to life, providing a varied and ongoing agenda that encourages both residents and visitors to enjoy live performances, art exhibitions, and cultural happenings that enhance the urban landscape.
What could be a more fitting start to the cultural journey than at the TORCH? On Friday the 25th, Saturday the 26th, and Sunday the 27th of October, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., you can explore Óscar Domínguez’s exhibition “The Two Who Cross” at Tenerife Espacio de las Artes (TEA). This showcase, devoted to the surrealist artist, is curated by Isidro Hernández and will be available to the public until November 24.
Starting at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, TEA will unveil a fresh exhibition and activity programme in the MiniTEA space. The new MiniExpo, entitled “Without clothes in the museum. Why is art full of naked people?”, features nineteen pieces from the TEA Collection categorised into four sections (A surface of the skin, Everything or nothing, The perfect body, Majas, Venus and odalisques, and The broken body), addressing various themes.
This same venue will screen the feature-length documentary “Una casa en el pueblo”, directed by Domingo J. González, with a script co-authored with Elena de Vera and produced by Digital 104, from Friday to Sunday at 7:00 p.m. Additionally, it showcases the exhibition ‘Sweet Dreams’ by artist Carlos Rivero, available for viewing from Monday to Sunday, including holidays, from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
The Central Municipal Library focuses on the film genre, curating a selection of 28 films “based on real events” alongside those that offer a personal and subjective interpretation that aligns with their artistic vision. The Museum of Nature and Archeology presents the installation “Ethology in Stillness” throughout the weekend, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., reflecting on the implications of human presence on the planet during the confinement of 2020 due to the pandemic.
Moreover, the Central Municipal Library displays the exhibition “Imeldo Serís. Everything by and for Tenerife.” This exhibition, open until January 24, 2025, emphasises Imeldo Serís’s contributions, recognised for his unwavering advocacy as a deputy and senator for his home island.
This weekend, the MUNA features the interactive exhibition “Cooperators for life: pollinators.” The newly established exhibition space at MUNA highlights the significance of pollinators, the reasons behind their decline, and the necessity for broad-reaching strategies at local and individual levels, aiming to foster an improved relationship between nature and society while analysing the social and environmental costs associated with a model dependent on limited natural resources.
Additionally, it screens “I stopped like a tree and I heard like a tree,” a piece inviting contemplation on the essence of imagery and cinematic language, curated by La Madre Monte. This series forms part of La Pinochera. Canary Islands Rural Film Week, with screenings on a loop until November 17, from Tuesday to Sunday, and on holidays from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
In Santa Cruz, the Carnival is always on the agenda. One may visit the Casa del Carnaval, which features three exhibitions dedicated to our carnivals. The first, titled “The magic behind the costume,” celebrates the Costume Contest with two examples demonstrating its evolution—Miguel Ángel Delgado Salas as a prime example of the individual costume contest and the contest’s history, alongside the group Los Ilusionistas del Carnaval, representing the group costume contest. This exhibition can be viewed in the Multipurpose Room from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The second exhibition, “Lírica y Tradición,” focuses on rondallas and lyrical groups, allowing the public to discover their history and evolution while viewing in situ some of the creations that are still competing today. This can be found in the Suspi Room, open concurrently with the previous exhibition.
Lastly, the permanent showcase “2024 Carnival Prize Winners” displays the costumes and creations from groups, collectives, and Carnival queens of 2024, featuring the fantasies of the three Carnival Queens, along with those of murgas, troupes, musical ensembles, and choreographed pieces that garnered awards in 2024. Additionally, as a new feature, some documentary materials belonging to Nicolás Mingorance, a prominent lyricist of the Afilarmónica Ni Fú Ni Fá who recently passed away, have been added to the ‘Pioneers Showcase’. This exhibition is accessible on Fridays from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The Santa Cruz Carnival House presents two new temporary exhibitions that can be enjoyed for free until April 2025, available from Monday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. These exhibitions pay homage to two iconic elements of our carnival, such as the display “Between laughter and parties,” which focuses on the Laughter Song contest, and “With clowns and harlequins, from the beginning to the confines,” dedicated to the renowned Afilarmónica Nifú Nifá.
The 21st edition of the Tenerife International Comic and Illustration Fair will take place over the weekend in various locations across the city, following the inauguration of most exhibitions accompanying this edition. The event launching on Friday at the Municipal Museum of Fine Arts will feature the presentation of the comic “R&R Show,” by Jonatan Díaz and Ibrahim Castillo, at 4:00 p.m.
At 5:00 p.m., the album “Death to intelligence!” by Jorge García and Gustavo Rico will be presented, followed by “El designio” by Laura Pérez Vernetti at 6:00 p.m. All authors will be present at their respective events. Beginning at 8:00 p.m., the Guimerá Theatre will host the Cosplay contest and the Hall Awards ceremony, which will honour Benito Jacovitti’s career in memoriam, alongside additional statuette awards.
Saturday’s activities begin at the Municipal Museum of Fine Arts with the presentation of the comic “Krazy Kat. Sunday Pages 1916-1917” by Emilio Bernárdez from Ediciones La Cúpula, starting at 11:00 a.m. Next, Max will give a talk titled “Nieve y Coal” at 12:00 p.m., followed by the unveiling of the graphic novel “Sueños de ink” by Juan Álvarez at 1:00 p.m.
Another discussion, presented by Eduardo Serradilla, will be held at 4:00 p.m. titled “The 85 years of Batman and Superman” in the art room of Parque García Sanabria. Signing sessions are scheduled for 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. in the tented area of Plaza del Príncipe. The day will culminate with the K-pop gala, commencing at 8:00 p.m. at the Guimerá Theatre.
On Sunday, the concluding day of Santa Cruz Cómic will commence at 11:00 a.m. with the talk “Comics in Spain. A blocked medium,” led by Manuel Barrero from Tebeosfera. Shortly thereafter, at 12:00 p.m., the book “Desmemorias de una magazine satírica” by José Luis Martín will be launched, followed by the presentation of the comic “Burrow” by Moño at 1:00 p.m.
All these events will feature guest authors and take place at the Municipal Museum of Fine Arts, with the last signing session occurring at 1:00 p.m. in the Plaza del Príncipe. This edition of Santa Cruz Cómic,
Co-organised by the Cine+Cómics Foundation and Moebius Cultural Chair of the University of La Laguna, this event is supported by the Santa Cruz City Council, alongside the collaboration of the Centro-Ifara district, the Government of the Canary Islands through Tourism of the Canary Islands, and funded by the Next Generation funds from the European Union.
The weekend brings one of its key highlights: the I Festival Isla Viva, hosted on the Francisco La Roche esplanade. This family-friendly event is part of the IX edition of the Santa Cruz Beer Festival, the largest gathering of Canary Islands beer. Attendees can enjoy performances from groups like Escuela de Calor, Salvascreenlas, Soul Sanet, and Tribute to Queen, among other activities, on Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m., and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
The event will also feature a special culinary offering, with a curated selection of food trucks and stalls presenting a diverse array of cuisine. This year, a new addition to the programme is the successful Le Good Market project, which will be open for free entry. The market supports local and kilometre 0 producers, small shops, and artisans from the islands while promoting contemporary design and artisanal brands. It will be located in the space adjacent to the Isla Viva Festival site.
The ‘Anaga on foot’ project is back, featuring a trail that invites participants to explore the enchanting Anaga region. On Saturday, starting at 8:15 a.m., attendees will trek along the path historically used by milkmaids between Santa Cruz de Tenerife and San Cristóbal de La Laguna. The route kicks off at the Concepción La Laguna Church, progressing through Bronco and Lomo Largo, crossing the Chozas valley, and after traversing the Carmona ravine, descending through the Mesas mountain adjacent to the Jiménez ravine. It continues by flanking Roque and Boca del Andén and crossing the Las Goteras ravines until reaching Cueva Roja in Santa Cruz. From there, participants will enter the city, passing through the Salamanca and Duggi neighbourhoods, ultimately returning to the Church of La Concepción in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
This Saturday also marks the seventh edition of the Tricontinental Crafts Fair in Santa Cruz, dedicated to Portugal, featuring the participation of over 200 artisans from three continents. Visitors can explore this fair at the Tenerife Fairgrounds from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Additionally, this venue will host Adimaker’24, a fair for 3D printing and additive manufacturing. This event, scheduled from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., caters to professionals, makers, and enthusiasts, providing a space for discovering innovations in the sector, participating in interactive workshops, and attending live demonstrations.
The free workshop “Learn to ride a bike,” facilitated by the Biciescuela de Tenerife por la Bici, will hold its next sessions this Saturday and Sunday in the Ofra – Costa Sur district, at the Las Delicias Sports Centre.
The Suroeste Baila workshops are designed for audiences of all ages and serve as a fun and inclusive activity taking place in the public spaces of the Suroeste district. These sessions run every Friday until November 15. This week, the workshop will be held in La Estrella park, in Santa María del Mar/Los Alisios, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
This Friday, as part of the autumn activities for the young district, a workshop on the History of Video Games will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the El Molino space, exploring the evolution of this exciting industry from the earliest games to contemporary innovations. On the same day, from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., a role-playing workshop at AAVV Valleseco will guide participants in designing unique characters with special backstories and abilities.
On Saturday, at the Casa Juventud Mascareño, an E-Sports tournament will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., featuring a workshop that blends theory and practice, covering the history of electronic sports, gaming strategies, and the significance of teamwork. Additionally, this Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., there is an opportunity to stay fit at the Entrena-T workshop in the Sports Zone in front of Hacienda.
