There is no doubt that Christmas is the theme highest on the events list for December on Tenerife with concerts and carol services being held all over the island in the run up to the Christmas break.

Even though many of these events will have been of interest to visitors to the island, anyone who came to Tenerife to get away from all the Christmas hype and pre-occupations of home will have been looking for something different.

The Auditorio de Tenerife, the island's stunningly designed major concert venue, was host to a number of concerts during early December. The Tenerife Symphony Orchestra played three concerts prior to their annual outdoor concert on Christmas Day Evening on the Esplanade in Santa Cruz at 10pm.

On December 4th they performed a three part concert comprising two Concertos for Trombone featuring talented Swedish soloist Christian Lindberg. The evening was completed with a performance of Rachmaninov's Symphony No. 1 in D minor. A second concert Friday 11th December featured Latvian soprano Kristine Opolais and varied programme of works by Dvorak, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. On Friday 18th December the Orchestra performed what was the 6th concert of that season and included pieces by two lesser known composers and then Sibelius's atmospheric Symphony No2, a fitting choice for the time of year.

During December there were also art exhibitions in La Laguna, El Sauzal and TEA, the Tenerife Espacio de las Artes.

Cinema screenings took place at Tenerife Espacio de las Artes on 4th, 11th, 18th and 25th December.

Finally the hit musical Mama Mia! started its run of 10 performances on 28th December at the Auditorio de Tenerife.