Situated by the sea, and even with the rain and wind, the Carnival of Santa Cruz de Tenerife shone brightly last night with the official commencement of the festivities in honour of Don Carnal, this year’s theme celebrating the mysteries of Africa. The Teniente Francisco Grandi Giraud promenade, located in front of the Cabildo, served as the venue for the inaugural Carnavalera gala, an event hosted by Jep Meléndez, where the tribal rhythms from the neighbouring continent infused life and vibrancy into the chilly evening.
With a stunning skyline of the capital, the façades of the iconic buildings at Plaza de España were imbued with African inspiration as singer Marieme Abdoulaye transported the large crowd to the heart of the savannah. Following her performance, the host, Wendy Fuentes, welcomed the outgoing queens, who paraded to the captivating rhythms of the troupes alongside the 34 candidates competing for the titles in the Santacrucero Carnival across the children’s, seniors, and adult categories.
The mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez, remarked that with this gala, “the Chicharrero Carnival” has commenced.
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During the event, the presenters for each category’s gala were revealed. The children’s gala will feature Jorge and Sergio, the seniors will be presented by Victorio Pérez, while Alexis Hernández and Lara Álvarez, the television personalities from the enduring contest, will oversee the adults’ gala.
The order of the queen candidates in the adult category is as follows: Ainhoa Díaz with the La Fontaine fantasy, created by Juan Carlos Armas on behalf of Alcampo La Laguna; Isabel González with the Etna fantasy, designed by Alfonso Baute and representing Grupo Fedola; Marta Pérez with the fantasy The Sky and You, by Santi Castro on behalf of Añaza Carrefour shopping centre; Laura Fernández with the fantasy Drops of Sky, designed by Dormitorum; Michelle Castro with the Origin fantasy, created by Jorge González Santana on behalf of Mediterranean Broker; Noemí Albelo with Stay With Me, designed by Caví Lladó on behalf of Bonnet Supplies and SL Machinery; Elizabeth Victoria Ledesma with Connection, created by Alexis Santana on behalf of McDonald’s Tenerife; Cathaysa Medina with In the Moonlight, designed by Zara Díaz Mendoza on behalf of 5 Oceans; Yolanda Martín with La Joya de Atacama, by Yosué Riverol on behalf of the Cabildo de La Palma and the Council of Santa Cruz de la Palma, in partnership with Cupalma; Noemi Díaz with The Protected, created by Jonathan Suárez on behalf of Luz Hogar Tenerife; and concluding with Alexia Fernández, with the Fantasy Evara, designed by Yanira and Cristian Santana on behalf of Repsol Grupo González Canarias.
The Queen’s Gala, featuring 13 contenders, will commence with contestant Fernanda González, presenting My Great Dream, designed by Dormitorum on behalf of Loro Parque; while, for the ten aspiring queens in the seniors category, María del Carmen Perera will present The Legend, designed by Juan Carlos Armas on behalf of Arafo City Council.
Fireworks and confetti, set to the rhythmic beats of the comparsas, marked the grand finale of the welcome celebration for the 2025 Carnival.
