Forgive us for mentioning carnival events yet again, but for our travellers to Lanzarote, here is a review of the island's carnival events which kicked off on Saturday the 13th of February. There were also some events in the period leading up to this date including a children's fiesta and a series of plays.

Lanzarote's theme this year celebrated the great pop musical genius Michael Jackson, so you could expect the best in music, outrageous costumes and pure fun and enjoyment. The island's capital, Arrecife, was the centre of all the best carnival activities again this year, with the Recinto Ferial being the location for most of the main events.

If you're a family or travelling with children, the Great Children's Party on Sunday 14th February at the Recinto Ferial was the event for you. There were all kinds of competitions and shows for the young ones. The next day, Monday the 15th, saw the main carnival procession through the streets of the capital. This started at the Ciudad Deportiva at 5pm in the evening. As usual, the partying continued late into the night. For anyone with energy left, Shrove Tuesday followed with a Batucada show, also at the Recinto Ferial. Batucada is an African-influenced style of Samba dance.

As with most island carnivals the schedule concluded on Wednesday the 17th of February with the Burial of the Sardine ceremony, held at the park near to the Cabildo building. The evening, which started at 6pm, finished off with a big firework display. The Arrecife carnival is followed by the shorter Puerto del Carmen carnival, which we'll cover in another news post.