Each edition of the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife kicks off long before the first batucadas ring out. It begins with the spark of an image, a design that will be the visible face of the most emblematic festival of the archipelago. This 2026, that spark is once again being ignited by artists who aspire to leave their mark on one of the most anticipated events in the Canary Islands.
The city is already revving up for a new edition of the public competition for the official poster, a call that not only seeks the best visual representation of “Latin Rhythms,” the theme for next year, but also aims to enhance local talent and citizen participation.
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council, through the Festivities Department, will open the application period on 22 July, extending until 19 September. This will be the first phase, solely focused on the reception of posters. Afterwards, an evaluation committee will select five finalist proposals. The chosen authors will have 20 calendar days, until 18 October, to develop the complete graphic image of the Carnival, starting from the original poster. Finally, between 20 and 30 October, the public will be able to vote for their favourite, thus giving a voice to the citizens in this important creative choice.
The final prize for this edition will be 12,000 euros for the winning proposal, while each finalist will receive 1,000 euros. This financial allocation represents a significant increase compared to previous editions, as explained by the City Council in a statement, which aims to fairly value the work of the artists and elevate the quality of the submitted works.
The Mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, has emphasised the importance of this poster as the ambassador of the Carnival: “It is the soul of our city, a reflection of who we are and what we project to the world.” Meanwhile, the Councillor for Festivities, Javier Caraballero, highlighted the role that citizen participation will play, convinced that this approach will give more visibility and reach to artistic creation.
All works must be submitted in a format of 50×70 cm, either vertically or horizontally, with a minimum resolution of 300 dpi. Moreover, all elements of the design must be original and created entirely by the author. The complete competition rules can be consulted on the website, and the documentation must be sent exclusively online via the electronic headquarters of the City Council. With this call, Santa Cruz opens the door for art and festivity to merge, once again, into an image that will go down in history.
