Northern Murgas Contest Revives with Inter-Island Participation for 2026
The Northern murgas contest in La Orotava is experiencing a significant resurgence for its 2026 edition, attracting twelve groups, including three from outside the region and one from Gran Canaria, following a rule change that allows dual participation in regional and capital contests.
A surprising turnaround is happening at the Northern murgas contest. After years of decline, with many critical groups moving to the capital's Carnival, the regional event is seeing a resurgence. As the registration period closed for the contest, set for the second week of February 2026 in La Orotava, twelve critical groups have signed up. This includes three murgas from outside the region, with one even coming from the island of Gran Canaria.
Tras Con Tras, the second oldest all-female group in the history of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival – which celebrates 31 years of performing murgas this edition – has officially registered for the Northern contest. This is possible because, since the last edition, organizers in both the capital and the region agreed to allow groups to participate in both contests without having to choose just one.
For their "thirty-plus-one" anniversary, Tras Con Tras, led by Tati Rodríguez with Melca Barrera as president (the group's longest-serving member), is rehearsing four songs, though only three are required for the Northern event. Their artistic director might make some changes to the lyrics for their performance in La Orotava, which are written by Cristo Casas, who is also the musical director and the group's director.
Gran Canaria will also be represented in the regional contest by Lengüetudos, based in Santa Lucía de Tirajana. Founded in February 2016, the murga, led by Aythami Santana for five years, decided to take a break from the Gran Canarian capital's contest this year. This allows them to avoid a scheduling conflict between the Las Palmas contest and the one in Northern Tenerife.
However, this murga from Southeast Gran Canaria faces a challenge. Although they've registered to fulfill their dream of participating in the Northern Tenerife contest, they must resolve a labor dispute that currently prevents their percussionists from attending. Despite this, they are not giving up. Aware of the difficulty of traveling from another island, the murga, led by Samuel Noda with musical arrangements by Aridane Santana, decided to sign up after ruling out the capital's contest. Their reason was the repeated changes to the rules, which raise the minimum number of members to 40, making it hard for them to compete, especially when they struggle to reach thirty.
Between staying in their local Carnival and preparing two songs, or rehearsing three for the North, they chose the latter. With registration for the La Orotava contest now closed, they are working to overcome their labor issues to appear in La Orotava with their full lineup, ready to enjoy themselves and perform well.
Lengüetudos has won numerous awards for their costumes (known as "Presentation" in Tenerife), with only one of these in the Gran Canarian capital. Their lyrics are by Jesús and Mario, the latter also a member of Virgueritos in La Orotava, and they will wear a fantasy costume designed by Román López.
Along with Tras Con Tras, experienced in Santa Cruz, and Lengüetudos from Southeast Gran Canaria, the registration for the Northern murgas contest is completed with the remaining groups, bringing the total to twelve.
2026 will be historic as the first year two murgas from outside the North will participate – potentially three, if Malcriadas from La Laguna, directed by Cristina Morales Alonso (a familiar face in Northern murgas), makes its debut.
According to historian Ramón Guimerá Peña, in 1977, during the last official Winter Festivals, three of the seven murgas in the contest were from La Orotava. Now, 39 years later, La Orotava will host the regional contest, welcoming murgas from outside the region for the first time.
In 1977, Peña El Casco, directed by Agustín Machado; Los Cangrejos, by Pedro González; and Los Virgueritos, by Juan Acosta, all participated in Santa Cruz.
In the modern Carnival era, the rise of Northern murgas became clear with Trapaseros from Los Realejos in 1999. Initially, there was an agreement to admit the winner of the Northern murgas to the capital's contest, with Dámaso Arteaga as the Festival Councilor in Santa Cruz and strong support from Diablos Locos, but Ni Pa Tanto declined this privilege in 1998.
After Trapaseros achieved second place in Performance in 2012 at the stadium, and third place in 2015, recent history has established the North as a benchmark for murgas, with Trapaseros reaching the pinnacle in 2025, alongside Irónicos, who placed third.
La Orotava is preparing to host the traditional murgas contest once again, returning to the town after seven years, since its last edition in 2019. According to Festival Councilor Alexis Pacheco, the event will take place in a specially adapted venue, featuring a large tent to ensure comfort and safety for attendees. The space will accommodate approximately 1,200 people, with a tent measuring 55 meters long by 20 meters wide and a central peak 9 meters high. The stage will cover about 1,100 square meters, providing ample space for performances. The venue will be located on an esplanade near Quinto Centenario square, making it easily accessible.
The draw for murga participation will happen on December 18, marking the official start of preparations for this anticipated edition. The contest's return to the municipality is a significant milestone, solidifying La Orotava's position as a key location in the Northern region in 2026. Furthermore, it is fitting that the contest is regaining momentum precisely thanks to Pacheco's initiative to open the format to all of the Canary Islands.