The municipality of Candelaria is immersed in its most important month of the year. Every August, the Patroness of the Canary Islands, the Virgin of Candelaria, celebrates her main day, with thousands of people visiting from various points across the island.
For this celebration, a multitude of religious and popular events are organised, among which one of the most admired is the guanche ceremony, an ancestral ritual representing the finding of the image of the Virgin, taking place on Thursday, 14 August.
An event that annually gathers thousands of people and is considered the first religious-festal theatrical representation of the Archipelago, in which the historical memory of the ancient inhabitants is present.
Guanche ceremony in Candelaria. / MARIA PISACA
What does this ancestral ritual involve?
The guanche ceremony is an ancestral ritual that represents, as mentioned earlier, the finding of the image of the Virgin on Playa de Chimisay, 95 years before the Conquest.
The first representations date back to the 18th century and take place every 14 August, with the Virgin being taken in procession outside the Basilica. The ceremony is conducted by the members of the Colectivo Guanches de Candelaria, who are also celebrating this year as they have received the Gold Medal of the Canaries.
Over time, this ceremony has become a central and distinctive event of the Candelaria festivities.
Schedule of Events
Tuesday 12
- 21:30 h. Venue next to the Town Hall. Efecto Pasillo, in concert. Pre-performance by Neo Pinto. Free entry.
Wednesday 13
- 19:00 h. Venue next to the Town Hall. XI Minors’ Wrestling ‘Tribute to the Medium Mountain Wrestling’ between two teams of wrestlers from the island.
- 20:15 h. VII Women’s Wrestling in honour of the Virgin of Candelaria.
- 21:30 h. XXVII Institutional Wrestling between two teams of the best youth wrestlers from the Canaries. Live broadcast by TV Canaria.
Thursday 14
Basilica of Candelaria. Religious Events
- 08:00, 10:00, 12:00, 16:00, and 18:00 h. Eucharist.
- 17:15 h. Prayer of the Holy Rosary.
- 18:45 h. From the Basilica of Candelaria. Procession of the Virgin of Candelaria to the venue next to the Town Hall for the finding ritual, accompanied by Las Candelas Music Band.
- 20:00 h. Venue next to the Town Hall. Guanche Ceremony. Arrival of the image and representation of the finding of the Virgin of Candelaria by the Colectivo Guanches de Candelaria. Reading of the script by Luisa Machado and José Luis de Madariaga. Live broadcast by TV Canaria and TVE in the Canaries.
- Thereafter. Procession to the Well. Upon returning from the Procession, at the venue next to the Town Hall, Greeting from the Rector of the Basilica, performances by Alba Fariña and Fernando Santana, and singing of the Ave Maria by Chago Melián.
- Thereafter. From the Dock. Fireworks display and continuation of the procession to the Basilica. The temple will remain open all night with the prayer of the holy rosary every hour.
- 21:30 h. Cloister of the Dominican Fathers’ Convent. Special tv programming ‘Night of the Pilgrims’. Live broadcast by TV Canaria.
- 23:00 h. Plaza de Teror. Night of parrandas in memory of Rosaura Marrero Fariña. Organised by: Gracita González.
Friday 15
Basilica of Candelaria
- Eucharist celebration at 05:00, 06:00, 07:00, 08:00, and 18:00 h.
- Prayer of the Holy Rosary at 17:15 h. and 09:00 h.
- Reception of drums and offering by the Cultural Association of Guanchería de Los Realejos at 10:00 h.
- 34th Athletic Floral Offering to the Virgin of Candelaria. Arrival of hundreds of runners from Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Organised by: MED Salud Sport Canarias.
- 10:45 h. Venue next to the Town Hall. Military parade and reception of the representation of Her Majesty the King of Spain, Mrs María Concepción Brito Núñez, mayor of Candelaria. Live broadcast by La 2 of TVE in the Canaries, TV Canaria, Cope Canarias, and Candelaria Radio.
- 11:30 h. Departing from the Town Hall. Civic procession to the Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias, accompanied by Las Candelas Music Band.
- 12:00 h. Basilica of Candelaria. Solemn celebration of the Eucharist, presided over by Monsignor Don Eloy Alberto Santiago Santiago, bishop of the Nivariense Diocese. Sung by the Coral Voces para La Esperanza Villa de Candelaria and the Las Candelas Chamber Orchestra. Broadcast on the screen from the venue next to the Town Hall and live on La 2 of TVE in the Canaries, TV Canaria, Cope Canarias, and Candelaria Radio.
- Upon conclusion. Procession of the Virgin of Candelaria around the Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias, with a shower of fireworks. Accompanied by Las Candelas Music Band and the New Band of Igueste.
- 20:00 h. From the Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias. Transfer of the Virgin of Candelaria to the venue next to the Town Hall for the offering to the Patroness of the Canary Islands.
- 21:30 h. Venue next to the Town Hall. Offering to the Patroness of the Canary Islands: Music and traditions of the islands in honour of the Virgin. Musical performance by Tigaray. Guest singers: Luis Morera (La Palma), Angélica Pérez (El Hierro), Gara Niz and Raúl Caraballo (Lanzarote), Jésica García (Gran Canaria), Paula Gómez and Chago Melián (Tenerife). Dance groups: Los campesinos de Lanzarote, Idayra de La Laguna, and Almagre. Venerated Dance of the Most Holy Trinity of Igueste, Colectivo Guanches de Candelaria, and Fishermen of Candelaria. Presented by: Sergio de la Rosa. Live broadcast by TV Canaria and TVE in the Canaries.
Saturday 16
- 21:30 h. Venue next to the Town Hall. Cristina Ramos & Benito Cabrera, in concert. Show ‘I am from here’
Sunday 17
- 12:00 h. Basilica of Candelaria. Concelebration of the Eucharist and procession of the Virgin of Candelaria around the Plaza de la Patrona de Canarias. The Eucharist will be sung by the Folkloric Group Santa Ana – San Blas and the procession accompanied by Las Candelas Music Band.
- 18:00 h. Basilica of Candelaria. Concelebration of the Thanksgiving Eucharist for the festivities.
- Prayer of the Holy Rosary at 17:00 h.
- 21:30 h. Venue next to the Town Hall. Special concert 60 years of Los Sabandeños
