The Playa Blanca Carnival 2026 summons the gods of Olympus for four days of celebration in the south of Lanzarote, from March 12 to 15. Zeus, Athena, Poseidon and company inspire the allegory of an edition that confirms Henry Méndez and Nueva Línea as headliners, with the Grand Parade on Saturday the 14th as the year’s biggest event. The municipality of Yaiza has spent months preparing a program combining parades, galas, live music and the boundless creativity of comparsas, batucadas and masked revelers.

Playa Blanca Carnival 2026: Program

Yaiza Town Hall has published the full program featuring three headline concerts: Henry Méndez on Friday, Elvis Crespo on Saturday after the Grand Parade, and Nueva Línea for Sunday’s Daytime Carnival. This edition’s standout: Los Buches de Arrecife and the Diabletes de Teguise parade together along calle Limones in a Traditional Carnival that brings Lanzarote’s two oldest carnival traditions to the south of the island for the first time.

Thursday, March 12 — Opening Night

5:30 pm — Dog Carnival
Main venue, Av. Papagayo (opposite Hotel Princesa Yaiza). Costume contest for pets with prizes for the most original entries.

8:30 pm — Carnival Gala
Main venue. Performances by Los Timanfeiros comparsa, Los Yaiseros and Ritmos del Sur batucadas, Dance Pop ballet, and coronation of the Carnival King and Queen.

Friday, March 13 — Traditional Carnival and Henry Méndez

10:00 am — School Carnival
Students from CEIP Playa Blanca parade in costume along calle Limones to Plaza del Carmen.

5:30 pm — Traditional Carnival
Calle Limones. Los Buches de Arrecife and the Diabletes de Teguise bring Lanzarote’s oldest carnival traditions to the south of the island. A rare chance to see the two most iconic figures of Lanzarote carnival together, outside their home municipalities.

6:30 pm — Los Jarvac Orchestra
Calle Limones. Live music keeping the street party going.

9:00 pm — Murga Encounter
Main venue, Av. Papagayo. The afilarmónica Los Simplones and murga Los Intoxicados bring their satirical comedy to the southern carnival.

10:00 pm — Henry Méndez Concert + Street Party
Main venue. Dominican singer Henry Méndez brings his fusion of Latin rhythms, electronic and pop to southern Lanzarote. Followed by a street party with Mambo Latino, Grupo Kandela and Banda Nueva.

Saturday, March 14 — Grand Parade and Elvis Crespo

10:30 am — Children’s Carnival
Main venue, Av. Papagayo. School dance groups, the “Hercules” show and Los Desiguales from Asociación Creciendo Yaiza.

6:00 pm — Gran Coso del Carnaval (Grand Parade)
The main parade of the southern carnival — the most widely attended event in the entire municipality of Yaiza. Floats, comparsas, murgas, batucadas and hundreds of costumed revelers fill the streets of Playa Blanca with Greek mythology as the guiding thread.

Route: Starts near the Aldi supermarket → Av. Salida a Femés → bus station roundabout → calle Jaime Quesada → Av. Papagayo → main venue.

10:00 pm — Elvis Crespo Concert
Main venue, Av. Papagayo. Puerto Rican merengue star Elvis Crespo, known worldwide for “Suavemente” and “Tu Sonrisa,” headlines the biggest night of the southern carnival. One of the most recognized tropical music artists in the world performs in Playa Blanca after the Grand Parade.

Sunday, March 15 — Daytime Carnival and Drag Gala

12:30 pm — Daytime Carnival
Main venue. Canarian group Nueva Línea closes the carnival with the weekend’s most anticipated performance. Vocalists Alicia Padilla, Sofía Marrero, Raquel González and Mayte Cabrera arrive in Playa Blanca with their viral version of “Noche de copas” and all the hits sweeping the Canary Islands. DJ Renzzo El Selector and Rika Banda round out the daytime party.

8:30 pm — Drag Queen Gala
Main venue. The best drag queens in the Canary Islands converge on Playa Blanca for a spectacular show of performance, costume design and acrobatics. The grand finale of Carnival 2026.

The poster: “Olimpo en Yaiza”

The official poster for the Playa Blanca Carnival 2026 is titled “Olimpo en Yaiza” and was created by Gran Canaria-based designer Armando Arencibia Martín, winner of the public competition from among 15 entries. The jury — cultural creators and managers Cintia Machín, Alexander Rodríguez and David Machado — praised the digital technique and pastel color palette. The prize was €1,200.

The design reflects both Greek mythology and the festive spirit that defines Playa Blanca’s carnival: gods, togas, laurels and a touch of Olympian irreverence that promises to inspire the most creative costumes of the season.

Yaiza’s carnival groups

The Playa Blanca carnival draws its energy from local groups, presented at the Uga gala on January 31:

Los Timanfeiros — The municipality’s main comparsa, responsible for the opening parade and a fixture of the Coso.
Los Yaiseros — Batucada setting the rhythm for the parades.
Ritmos del Sur — The municipality’s second batucada.
Dance Pop — Carnival ballet with choreographed fantasy routines.

Practical information

Dates: March 12-15, 2026
Location: Main venue on Av. Papagayo (opposite Hotel Princesa Yaiza) and streets of Playa Blanca
Main day: Saturday, March 14 (Grand Parade 6:00 pm + Elvis Crespo 10:00 pm)
Artists: Henry Méndez (Friday 13), Elvis Crespo (Saturday 14) and Nueva Línea (Sunday 15)
2026 allegory: “The Gods of Olympus”
Entry: Free for all events
Official program: yaiza.es

Getting there: Playa Blanca sits at the southern tip of Lanzarote, a 35-minute drive from the airport and 40 minutes from Arrecife via the LZ-2. Plaza del Carmen, the hub for all events, is in the center of town, just steps from the Playa Blanca port (where ferries depart for Fuerteventura).

Tip: Saturday’s Coso draws the biggest crowds. Arrive early to catch the start of the parade at Playa Flamingo, or find a good spot along Av. Papagayo — the final stretch before Plaza del Carmen. If you’re traveling with children, Sunday morning offers kids’ activities before the Daytime Carnival kicks off. And if you’re staying overnight in the south, Playa Blanca has plenty of accommodation within walking distance of the action.

→ Complete guide: Lanzarote Carnival 2026
→ Teguise Carnival 2026: México Lindo
→ Lanzarote Cultural Agenda March 2026
→ Lanzarote in March: weather, plans and why visit

Last updated: March 15, 2026. Official source: Ayuntamiento de Yaiza.