One of the biggest carnivals on Gran Canaria has the green light to go ahead having been given assurances by its local mayor that proper finances would be available.

Maspalomas hosts one of the most spectacular and colourful of all the carnivals in the Canaries, which its processions reminiscent of the big parades in Rio's famous carnival. There had been concerns by tourism groups that time was running out to fully organise the Maspalomas Carnival this year, but mayor of San Bartolome de Tirajana announced recently that he would be finalising payments of companies that participated last year. The mayor also confirmed that tendering rules for this year's event would have to be modified and notice rules relaxed in order for things to get done in time. The 2010 carnival is set to receive a budget of 300,000 Euros from the municipal authorities, but it is thought the area receives great value for its investment as the carnival is of south Gran Canaria's major events of the whole year and attract thousands of people to the area.

The 2010 Maspalomas carnival will run between 11th and 21st March and this year's theme will be Eurovision. A design competition resulted in a colourful poster promoting the carnival and Thomas Cook has already agreed to display the poster in its branches in Germany. Flights to Gran Canaria are very popular in winter because both German and British tourists love this holiday resort.

The Maspalomas carnival follows on from the island's other carnival in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria which ran between the 26th of January and the 20th of February and is claimed to be the second largest in the world after Brazil's Rio carnival. Drag Queen competitions, through-the-night street parties are some of the highlights and almost everyone dresses in some form of costume. If you were intending to visit the carnival perhaps you should have thought about packing your fancy dress wear before you left home.