Santa Cruz Hails 'Biggest, Safest' Carnival After Million Attend

Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council has released a summary of its recent Carnival, highlighting how big and impactful the event was for the city. Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez shared that the festival, held from January 16 to February 23, attracted over a million people to its many activities, including competitions, galas, and street parties day and night.

The city directly invested about 6 million euros in the Carnival, with the total cost reaching 7.5 million euros. The extra 1.5 million euros came from sponsorships, grants, and sales from stalls. The council proudly called it "the biggest, safest, and best-organized festival on the planet." It even outdid previous Carnivals, including one affected by bad weather.

Regarding safety and assistance, 676 people received medical help, which is only 0.01% of all attendees. More than 1,500 staff members were part of the security team. Local Police made 12 arrests and issued 265 warnings for rule-breaking, such as drug use or sales, and other violations, including 29 for public urination. The Minor Protection Group helped 110 young people. The Purple Point handled 11 cases of gender-based violence, and the Rainbow Point dealt with one case of domestic violence. Monday saw the most incidents. To prevent crime, 28 cameras were set up in the Cuadrilátero area, and police drones flew 135 times. The lost and found service handled 481 items, and half of them have already been returned.

The Carnival also had a significant economic and logistical impact. Hotels were over 84% full. Public transport use went up, with more than 1,100,000 passengers on Titsa buses and almost 458,000 on the tram – both higher than last year. Many tourists came, especially for the Coso parade and Piñata Saturday, which saw crowded streets and packed concerts.

The Carnival program spanned 38 days of activities, including 13 competitions and 4 galas. These involved 105 groups and over 10,000 people directly. Over 60,000 people visited the Exhibition Center, plus hundreds of thousands watched on TV. Street entertainment offered 240 hours of music, 50 dances with orchestras and local Canarian artists, 30 DJs, and 15 international performers. The amusement fair drew over 150,000 visitors, and Piñata Saturday alone brought together 425,000 people for a full day of events.

For waste management, one ton less rubbish was collected compared to the previous year, and five tons more were recycled. The City Council believes this shows greater public awareness. A cleaning team of 200 people quickly returned the city to normal after each event.

Looking ahead, the City Council is already planning the next Carnival. While they are considering changing the dates for organizational reasons, with a decision expected soon, the mayor prefers to keep the traditional timing linked to Lent.