Santa Cruz Carnival Bids Farewell With Iconic Sardine Burial

The Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival, famous worldwide for its size, is holding one of its most iconic and cheeky events today: the Burial of the Sardine. This event marks the end of the party spirit and the start of Lent, signalling the halfway point of the street celebrations. After huge crowds on Carnival Monday night and the spectacular Coso Apoteosis parade, Tenerife's capital is getting ready for a satirical and spontaneous farewell.

The funeral procession, known for its chaotic and festive mood, will start at 10:00 PM from Juan Pablo II street. It will travel through Weyler Square, then along Méndez Núñez, Pilar, Villalba Hervás, and La Marina streets, ending at Plaza de España. The traditional burning of the symbolic sardine will happen on the nearby Avenida Marítima. Artists like Pepe Benavente, el Morocho, and Jhonny Maquinaria will join the procession to entertain the crowds.

At the same time, music will fill Plaza del Príncipe, with performances by Maquinaria Band and Orquesta Saoco from 11:00 PM to 3:00 AM. As always, the Burial of the Sardine will mean special traffic and parking rules. From 6:00 PM, you won't be able to park on parts of Juan Pablo II street (between Benavides and Weyler), Méndez Núñez street (from Weyler to El Pilar), and all of El Pilar street. Roads will start closing at 8:30 PM, first on Juan Pablo II (between Álvarez de Lugo and Pérez de Rozas) and at the junction of Jesús y María with Rambla Pulido. By 9:30 PM, more restrictions will be in place at the meeting point of 25 de Julio with Pérez de Rozas and Robayna, as well as on Méndez Núñez and El Pilar streets. The Local Police say these changes will be clearly signposted. They will also try to make it as easy as possible for residents to access their garages, with proper authorization.