PROPERTY SEARCH

ARCHIVED - 24th and 25th February mini Carnival parade and burning of Don Carnal Cartagena

ARCHIVED ARTICLE

The main Cartagena Carnival parade in 2020 takes place on 22nd February

<span style='color:#780948'>ARCHIVED</span> - 24th and 25th February mini Carnival parade and burning of Don Carnal Cartagena

The full program for Carnival 2020 in Cartagena is as follows:

Friday 14th February 2020

17:30 Pasacalles, an informal parade, to greet the 2019 carnival celebrations. Starts in Calle Carmen, then heads down the main shopping street to the Plaza del Ayuntamiento where there will be fireworks as the pasacalles concludes.

21:00 Gala to choose the children’s Carnival Queen and her ladies in waiting at the Pabellón Central de Deportes Wssell de Guimbarda (admission 2 euros from El Corte Inglés Cartagena).

Saturday 15th February

21.00: The “Pregón” (official opening speech) and the gala to choose the Carnival Queen. The evening includes performances by some of the dance groups, the dialogue between Don Carnal and Doña Cuaresma, the Chirigotas, and the selection and proclamation of the Carnival Queen and her ladies in waiting. This event also takes place in the Pabellón Central de Deportes Wssell de Guimbarda (see above).

Tickets cost only 3 euros and are available from El Corte Inglés in Cartagena.

Sunday 16th February

13:00: Baile del Vermút, open air Carnival dance, in the Plaza de San Francisco.

12.00, 19.00 and 21.30: Regional choreography competitions in the Pabellón Central de Deportes Wssell de Guimbarda (for children at 12.00 then there are two sessions for adults, at 18.00 and 21.00: tickets for both events are priced at 3 euros and can be obtained from Corte Inglés.

Monday 17^th February

21.00: Fourth national Cartagena Carnival Drag Queen Competition at the Pabellón Central de Deportes Wssell de Guimbarda, featuring 12 drag queens. Admission 5 euros, tickets from El Corte Inglés in Cartagena.

Tuesday 18^th February

19.00: Dance troupes join in an informal parade through the streets of the city centre in the main shopping districts.

Wednesday 19th February

19.00: Dance troupes groups join in an informal parade in the city centre.

21.00: The 18th annual “Ciudad de Cartagena” Chirigotas competition begins at the Auditorio El Batel with the first semi-final. Admission 9 euros, tickets from the Teatro Circo and the Auditorio El Batel.

Thursday 20^th February

21.00: The second semi-final of the annual “Ciudad de Cartagena” Chirigotas competition at the Auditorio El Batel. Again tickets are priced at 9 euros and are available from the Teatro Circo and the Auditorio El Batel.

Friday 21st February

11.00: Children’s mini Carnival procession, concluding in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and starting in Plaza Juan XXIII.

20.00 and 23.30: The final of the “Ciudad de Cartagena” Chirigotas competition at the Auditorio El Batel, with tickets priced at 10, 11 and 12 euros and available from the Teatro Circo and the Auditorio El Batel.

Saturday 22nd February

12.00: Performances by the Chirigota groups in the streets of the city centre (Plaza San Francisco, Plaza del Icue and Plaza de San Sebastián).

18.00: Cartagena’s Grand Carnival Parade begins in the Alameda de San Antón, featuring around 90 troupes and a total of over 5,000 participants.

This is a huge route, so there is plenty of opportunity to see the parade pass through. The most atmospheric location is in the main shopping streets as the parade nears its conclusion, although logically this is quite crowded and it's difficult to sit anywhere!

Route: Alameda de San Antón, Plaza de España hacia Paseo de Alfonso XIII, Paseo Alfonso XIII, Juan Fernández, Juan XXIII, Santa Florentina, Carmen, Tolosa Latour, Sagasta, Puerta de Murcia, Mayor, Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

22.00: Live music in the Plaza de San Francisco.

Sunday 23rd February

12.00: Performances by the Chirigota groups in the streets of the city centre (Plaza San Francisco, Plaza del Icue and Plaza de San Sebastián).

12.00: Children’s entertainment and fancy dress party in Plaza Juan XXIII.

Monday 24th February

18.00: A shortened version of the main Carnival parade with the cartagena choreographic groups begins at 18.00, and adult and children’s dance groups perform in Plaza Juan XXIII at 18.30. Route of the parade: Plaza del Ayuntamiento, Mayor, Plaza de San Sebastián, Puertas de Murcia, Santa Florentina, Plaza de Juan XXIII.

Tuesday 25th February

19.00: The parade of Don Carnal, to whom the city of Cartagena says goodbye for another year during the prize-giving ceremony which begins in the Pabellón Central de Deportes Wssell de Guimbarda at 22.00.

Intriguingly, and representative of the cheeky tone of Carnival in Cartagena, there is a chance to sample the culinary delights of the “pelotas” of Don Carnal and the “tetillas” of Doña Cuaresma, before as midnight draws near the figure of Don Carnal is ceremonially burnt and fireworks are set off to end the 2020 Carnival of Cartagena.

For more local news, events and other information go to the Cartagena section of Murcia Today.

Join our Mar Menor group on Facebook and keep up to date with all the latest news and events in the Mar Menor area: https://www.facebook.com/groups/MarMenorNewsAndEvents/