Cadiz Carnival |
Cadiz
spends the whole year preparing for its famous carnival celebrations. If you
have an costume and are up for a good time then you're ready to enjoy this
unique and animated celebration.
The Cadiz
carnival is known throughout the world as a huge street party. Eleven days of
non-stop fun, originality and, more than anything else, mass participation. The
whole city is transformed, the streets are filled with people intent on having
a good time and making sure everyone else has a good time, singing, and
enjoying themselves. If you too would like to experience the boisterous Cadiz carnival
celebrations, you should make plans well in advance. This is one of the most
long-awaited events on the calendar and attracts thousands of people every
year.
Cadiz Carnival |
A month before the official start of carnival, the groups
that compete in the Falla Theatre competition begin their rehearsals, and the
carnival atmosphere is already underway. Various carnival groups organise
open-air gastronomic events where they play their repertoire of humorous songs
in public and where you can also sample typical Cadiz produce. The songs are usually
humorous, providing an ingenious critique of events that have made the news
over the course of the year. The Falla Theatre competition sees more than 100
groups taking part, with highlights including particularly the popular
chirigotas. It is a fantastic spectacle, packed with humour, music and colour.
The Grand Finale is one of the main attractions of the fiesta: it is held on
the first Friday of Carnival and lasts until the following morning. That's when
the great explosion of carnival high spirits overflows onto the city streets.
The groups that have taken part roam the teeming streets of the old town
singing their compositions and, on Sunday and Monday, take the stage to perform
the Carrusel de Coros.
Cadiz Carnival |
Fancy dress is obligatory at the Cadiz Carnival. Whether you
do it alone, as a couple or in a group, it is essential to wear a costume, at
least on the first Saturday and during the parades. There are two parades where
the public become an active part of the multi-colour cavalcade. The Gran
Cabalgata (Great Parade) is on the first Sunday. It proceeds down the avenue at
the entrance to the city and attracts tens of thousands of people. The second
is the Cabalgata del Humor (Comedy Parade), which goes through the old town on
the last weekend. The “charangas ilegales” are another characteristic element
of the Cadiz Carnival: they usually convene in the Plaza de las Flores. These are families, groups of friends or
workmates whose repertoire of songs compete for humour and laughs with the
“official” groups. Open-air parties, fireworks, fancy dress dances and endless
additional activities all ensure that the fun doesn't stop for a moment
throughout the celebrations.
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