The Entierro de la Sardina is on tonight.
If you’ve never seen it before, it’s one of those things that makes you stop and think, “Only in Tenerife.”
After the chaos of Carnival Monday, with thousands crammed into the cuadrilátero until silly o’clock, and yesterday’s Coso Apoteosis parade, tonight is when we “bury” the sardine. Yes, really.
It’s symbolic. Slightly dramatic. Mildly ridiculous. And completely brilliant.
The funeral procession starts at 10pm from Calle Juan Pablo II. From there it winds its usual way through Weyler, Méndez Núñez, El Pilar, Villalba Hervás and La Marina before ending up at Plaza de España.
And that’s where the sardine gets burned.
There’s something quite poetic about thousands of people following a giant fish through Santa Cruz before setting it on fire near the Avenida Marítima. Try explaining that to someone back in the UK.
Pepe Benavente, El Morocho and Jhonny Maquinaria are all involved tonight, so expect music, humour and plenty of improvisation. Nothing here is overly rehearsed. That’s half the charm.
If you’d rather base yourself in one spot, Plaza del Príncipe has live music from 11pm through to 3am with Maquinaria Band and Orquesta Saoco. So the party definitely isn’t slowing down.
A quick word of warning if you’re driving.
Parking restrictions kick in from 6pm along parts of Juan Pablo II, Méndez Núñez and El Pilar. Traffic closures start from 8.30pm and expand from 9.30pm across various junctions along the route.
In other words, if you try to nip through Santa Cruz by car tonight, you’ll regret it.
Carnival in Tenerife isn’t just a few parades and some fancy dress. It completely takes over the city. Roads close. Sleep disappears. Diets are abandoned. Normal life politely steps aside for a couple of weeks.
And then we burn a fish.
It marks the halfway point of the street celebrations, which is hard to believe when half the island already looks like it hasn’t slept since last Friday.
If you’re here, go and see it. Even if you only stay for half an hour. It’s one of those proper local traditions that reminds you Tenerife isn’t just beaches and winter sun.
It’s culture. Noise. Laughter. And occasionally controlled chaos.