The themes for Lanzarote's main Carnival parades in 2012 have just been announced by both Arrecife and Puerto del Carmen. With Arrecife Carnival taking a Viking theme whilst Puerto del Carmen will be heading to the Wild West.

Arrecife's theme for 2012 will be the World of the Viking. More than four thousand local residents of Lanzarote's capital were involved in the process of selecting a theme, through a survey conducted by the Department of Festivities at the Ayuntamiento of Arrecife. The vast majority of those consulted were in favour of the Viking motif.

As usual, the Carnival season begins with the celebrations held in Lanzarote's capital, Arrecife and next year these get underway from Friday 10th February and continue until 22nd February with the traditional Burial of the Sardine.

Meanwhile, Puerto del Carmen has selected the 'Wild West' as its main motif for Carnival 2012. In addition, the Ayuntamiento of Tias has also confirmed the dates for next year's carnival in Puerto del Carmen as falling on the 23rd to 26th February.