Attention to detail and creativity the Kings of Cartagena Carnival

Less feathers and more imagination left plenty of room to party

Much of the Region of Murcia celebrated carnival with gusto over the weekend, with a good number of large parades to come, mainly in Águilas and Santiago de la Ribera which run on until next week.

Cartagena held just one major parade, and this year it became a real marathon, with over 30 comparsas taking three and a half hours to file through the narrow streets of the city centre before participants enjoyed a large-scale fancy dress party at the sports pavilion where the parade concluded.

Participants of all ages, from babes in arms to pensionistas donned glitter and glitz to enjoy the party, with a notable air of austerity, apart from some of the latter peñas to file which closed the parade with a dazzling display of major plumage, enjoyed by those who had managed to remain standing for long enough to see them. It’s a shame that some of the best feathers and most spectacular comparsas don´t start the parade off with a bang, as those who find it too difficult to stand for so long miss all the best bits.

This year creativity was King, the costumes glitzy and imaginative, putting on a really good show with a minimal budget, clever use of materials bulking out the display with the smallest possible cost. There were less feathers in the early stages of the parade, but astonishing attention to detail instead, glittering culinary creations, painstakingly rolled cakes and biscuits topping pastel confectionary to a treat, shimmering ice scenes and clever use of make-up heightening the exuberance of the displays.

Of course, the main peñas excelled themselves as normal, gorgeous girls wearing little more than a smile and a shimmering coating of sweet apricot feathers or glittering sequins, although those who seemed to have the best time were the more mature, unconcerned with posing, pouting and tottering, preferring to party with sensible flat shoes on.
And as always, carnival is for everyone, with no exclusions, as many wheelchairs as carriages, filling the streets.

Social criticism was limited to just one comparsa this year, wheeling around a bin inviting onlookers to cast their votes for Catalan independence inside , along with a coffin containing a recently resurrected and sprightly looking Francisco Franco, the placard a call to action, “Get up Franco, Cataluña needs you!”.

Generally, quite a few of these peñas participate in the Santiago de la Ribera parade next weekend, when they can be seen ( and thankfully photographed) in daylight, the narrow streets of Cartagena and absence of lighting making it more difficult to do these fabulous costumes justice.