The festivities in honor of Our Lady of Candelaria and Saint Blaise 2026 will be held from January 17th to February 8th with a diverse program of events.
The festivities will begin on Saturday, January 17th, with the ‘Francisco Ayllón Valido’ Zanga Tournament, followed by the 7th Annual Cart Race on the 18th. One of the highlights will be the opening address, which will take place on Friday, January 23rd, after Mass at the Church of La Candelaria. The address will be given by Airam Samuel Vega Martel, from the Vega de Montaña Las Tierras Restaurant (Guayadeque), and Carmelo González López, from the La Pasadilla Grill Restaurant. A Youth Night will follow. Also noteworthy is the Pilgrimage Offering to Our Lady of La Candelaria on Saturday the 24th, after which the 30th Annual Taifa Dance of the Ingenio Choirs and Dances Association will be held, along with a concert featuring Paco Guedes and Leyenda Joven.
Among the religious events, the novena, which begins on the 24th, stands out, as well as a children’s pilgrimage on the 25th, and the Solemn Eucharistic celebrations and processions on February 2nd and 3rd.
Following a children’s day on the 25th, verse will take center stage on Friday the 30th with the Meeting of Verse Schools of Gran Canaria and the 20th Meeting of Improvisers ‘Verseando con Ingenio’ (Versifying with Wit). This will be followed on Saturday, the 31st, by a screening of the documentary ‘Cochineras’ and an evening of orchestras.
The 33rd La Candelaria Urban Cross Country Race 2026 will take place on the morning of February 1st, followed by concerts by Maldita EGB and Los Lola in the evening. On February 2nd, Candlemas Day, the traditional fair and livestock exhibition will be held, along with the artisan market. After Mass and a procession, there will be a communal toast. The main day will conclude with a concert by Los Gofiones. On Tuesday the 3rd, Saint Blaise’s Day, there will be children’s entertainment, dessert tasting, and a screening of a documentary by the NGO Proyecto Gambia. The festivities culminate that weekend with the concert ‘Rhapsody in Blue’, performed by the Villa de Ingenio Musical Society Symphonic Band, on the 7th, and the children’s theater performance ‘The Royal Shoemaker’ on Sunday, the 8th.
