Next Sunday, January 5, Santa Cruz de Tenerife will host the traditional Three Kings Parade, winding through the main thoroughfares of the city centre.
Arrival of Melchior, Gaspar and Baltasar at Heliodoro
In the afternoon, there will be a reception event at the Heliodoro Rodríguez López Stadium at 5:00 p.m., where 18,000 attendees will enjoy the famous Cantajuego show live. This performance will also be broadcast on Channel 4 Television.
The stadium’s gates will open at 3:30 p.m. Individuals with reduced mobility should enter through door 2, while door 17 is designated for those with visual impairments. Additionally, interpreters for sign language and pictograms will be available and displayed on the venue’s giant screen.
An hour and a half later, the venue will host an interactive ceremony, directed by Paula Álvarez, featuring the Cantajuego show, serving as a lead-up to the arrival of the Three Wise Men in Santa Cruz. The renowned international children’s musical show will get the children dancing to well-known tunes, calling forth Melchor, Gaspar, and Baltasar for their entrance into the city. Nearly 600 dancers and supporting performers will participate in the choreographed pieces.
The sound of an Army helicopter will signify the approach of Their Majesties, who will arrive at the stadium accompanied by their respective retinues of pages and ambassadors in open-top vehicles.
Upon arrival at the stadium, the mayor and the Festival councillor will present the Kings with the magical key that unlocks all the chicharrero homes. Subsequently, for a few moments, they will stroll around the stadium’s perimeter to greet visitors and collect the final letters containing their requests.
Parade of the Three Wise Men
At 7:00 p.m., the parade will commence, setting off from Belgium Avenue to Plaza de la República Dominicana, Avenida Asuncionistas, Ramón y Cajal, Galcerán, and Plaza de Weyler, and continuing along Méndez Núñez, El Pilar, Villalba Hervás, and La Marina until concluding at La Candelaria square.
This year’s parade promises to be a fresh experience, aimed particularly at children. Over 1,000 characters and extras will accompany the Kings on 15 floats inspired by various allegories. The procession will include dances and choreographies featuring members of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival troupes.
The Kings will also ride in floats, surrounded by their entourage of emissaries, pages, and ambassadors, all adorned in new costumes. Moreover, there will be ten dixieland bands performing live music throughout the route, featuring popular Disney and Christmas tunes.
Throughout the parade, pages will distribute a total of 2,500 kilos of gluten-free sweets. Additionally, 300 kilos of sugar-free and gluten-free treats will be included, distinctly packed in blue wrappers.
Security measures will be in place around areas with higher concentrations of people, including designated seating areas to view the parade. Attendees with reduced mobility will have a reserved section at the intersection of Méndez Núñez and Pi y Margall streets, while the area between Méndez Núñez and Numancia, as well as El Pilar (in front of García Sanabria Park), will provide a sound-free zone for guests with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
The Televisión Canaria cameras will broadcast the parade live across the Archipelago from Ramón y Cajal Street near Duggi Square.
The procession will conclude at Plaza de la Candelaria, where Their Majesties will carry out the traditional act of adoration for the Child Jesus at the nativity scene set up in the square. A designated space for individuals with reduced mobility will be made available in the left area.
Traffic Changes
The festivities will require several circulation and parking restrictions.
Parking Restrictions
- From 00:00 on Sunday, parking will be banned on Madrid Avenue, the upper part of Ramón y Cajal, and Duggi and Fernando Barajas Prat streets.
- Beginning at noon (12:00 p.m.), this restriction will extend to the initial part of Avenida de Belgium and Heliodoro Rodríguez López Street.
- At 1:00 p.m., the ban will apply to Ramón y Cajal street between Benavides and Alfaro.
- Starting at 4:00 p.m., parking will be prohibited on key streets, including La Marina, Villalba Hervás, and Avenida Marítima up to Plaza de España, among other areas around Francisco La Roche Avenue.
Traffic Management
Traffic restrictions will commence at 3:00 p.m. on Avenida de Belgium and Avenida San Sebastián, with Avenida Asuncionistas and Plaza de La Paz becoming affected at 4:30 p.m., progressively impacting the entire route of the parade.
The City Council advises residents to plan their journeys in advance and choose public transport to alleviate potential inconveniences.
