Las Palmas Carnival 2027: which weeks should you book?

Book 19–21 February 2027 for the Drag Queen Gala and Grand Parade; choose 8–9 February for the Queen Gala and daytime Carnival; avoid central Las Palmas during those nights if sleep and easy road access matter more than the festival. The official programme runs from 22 January to 28 February, so “Carnival week” is misleading. For daytime orientation, the Las Palmas hop-on hop-off bus starts at €25 and has 3.7 stars from 1,004 reviews, but it is transport for sightseeing, not a carnival ticket or a guaranteed service through parade diversions.

See availability and prices for the Las Palmas sightseeing bus

The dates that change the trip

The opening proclamation and announcing parade are on 22 January. Competitions then fill late January before the programme intensifies in February. The Queen Gala is scheduled for 8 February, followed by Carnival Tuesday events on 9 February. The Drag Queen Gala is on 19 February, and the Grand Parade follows on 20 February. The Burial of the Sardine closes the published programme on 28 February.

These dates come from the organiser’s current 2027 calendar, not from the previous year. Event times and routes can still be revised, so use the official carnival programme before paying for a non-refundable room or planning a same-evening transfer.

If one spectacular evening is the goal, 19 or 20 February is the clearest choice. If you prefer daytime activity and a family-oriented schedule, 9 February puts the daytime carnival and children’s parade together. Late January suits visitors interested in murgas and comparsas competitions rather than the best-known street parade.

Why rooms feel scarce for several weekends

This is a five-week city festival, not a single procession. Participants, production crews and visitors arrive for different competitions, while ordinary winter demand continues. A hotel can therefore be expensive around one gala even when the following weekday looks calm. Staying in the capital removes the late return south, but puts you close to music, crowds and route closures.

Accommodation in Maspalomas or Puerto Rico is a poor compromise if your main event finishes late. The island is long enough that a city night and a southern-resort bed create a real transfer problem. Conversely, Las Palmas is not automatically the best base for beach days in the south. Decide which half of the holiday matters more before booking one room for everything.

What a city tour can and cannot do

The €25 sightseeing bus has 1,004 reviews on GetYourGuide but only 3.7 stars. According to its description it is an open-top double-decker with a multilingual audio guide, and you hop off at the sights that interest you. It does not include admission to a carnival gala, reserved parade viewing or a promise that every stop operates normally when streets close.

For a more focused visit outside the main festivities, the private old-town walk with a tapa starts at €55, lasts 2.5 hours and has 4.7 stars from 217 reviews. It covers Triana and Vegueta rather than the carnival programme, so it works best on a quieter day before the evening crowds.

Check dates for the private Las Palmas old-town walk

Clear recommendation

For the recognisable headline events, stay in Las Palmas from 19 to 21 February and build the trip around the official programme, not an old calendar. Add the €25 sightseeing bus only for city orientation when its route is running. Travellers who want quiet evenings should visit the capital outside 22 January–28 February or sleep well away from the principal venues.