There may have been a big freeze across northern Europe at the beginning of January but the attractions for tourists soaking up the sun in Gran Canaria were added to on 8th January when the Canary Islands Music Festival started in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

This annual event, which was held for the 26th time this year, runs for a whole month and promotes music concerts on the various islands across the Canaries. Some of this year's highlights included the participation of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the Russian National Orchestra. The organisers state that they have three objectives for the festival which are to attract a different segment of the tourism market to the islands, to enhance the island's offering to visitors beyond that of great weather and superb beaches and also to provide an enriched cultural programme for the region which will also benefit the local community.

Music has always played a significant role in the history and traditions of the islands, with their African roots contributing to a culture that was invigorated when the islands were used as a stopping point by European musical groups en route to South America.

Gran Canaria is not the only island to benefit, with many of the performances in the festival being repeated at other locations such as Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura and even the smaller islands of La Graciosa and La Gomera. Other artists that performed during the festival included Prague National Theatre Chamber Orchestra, the Camerata Clasica de Canarias, pianist Mitsuko Uchida and violinist Carolin Widmann.

The main venues for the performances were the Auditorio Alfredo Kraus in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the Auditorio de Tenerife in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.