20th Feb 2023 @ 10:36 am

Arrecife’s carnival parade, the first and biggest of the eight parades that will take place on the island over the next four weeks, will take place at 6pm today, with fine, cool weather predicted.

At 6pm the immense parade of floats, drummers, dancers, singers and hundreds of costumed revellers will set off from the Ciudad Deportiva football stadium towards the Recinto Ferial by the sea.

Afterwards, many party goers will head to the free Masked Ball in the Parque Islas Canarias, with live music and DJs. The El Almacén art centre in central Arrecife will also be holding a disco. Both events end at 4am.

Our tips are:

Plan your transport: Parking is going to be in high demand and many roads will be closed.

Arrecife’s Rambla Medular (inner ring road) will be closed, and the Avenida Maritima (seafront road) will be closed from 7pm. Various detours into Arrecife will keep traffic running.

Our advice is to park on the outskirts and walk in, or get a taxi or a bus.

Arrange a meeting place: It’s easy to get split up from friends and colleagues, so pick a landmark or a bar to meet up in.

Watch your belongings: Crime is rare on Lanzarote, but any event with large crowds offers opportunities for pickpockets, as well as the chance that you might lose items in the jostle.

Dress up: You don’t have to wear a costume to enjoy carnival, but you’ll fee l much more a part of the proceeding if you do. It’s also likely to be a bit nippy after dark, so plan accordingly before you end up spending the night in a loincloth or bikini.

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