The island's biggest annual fiesta gets underway from tomorrow 22nd February.....

And to celebrate the centenary of Cesar Manrique’s birth, the theme for this annual event is everything Manriqueño. Starting with the design of the Carnival poster which uses an image created by the island’s favourite son in 1987.

The programme for Carnival sashays its way across the island, starting in the island capital Arrecife, from Friday 22nd February to Saturday 9th March with the main procession taking place on March 4th.

Over the course of two weeks there are workshops and entertainment for children and adults alike, with elections for the Carnaval King and Queen, the Drag Queen, traditional songs and dancing, batucada processions (percussion based music performed by marching drummers), the Cabalgata – which is the parade of floats and dancers - and the final act of carnival, the Burial of the Sardine.

San Bartolomé – 5th to 8th March. Olympic Gods is the San Bartolomé theme in 2019.

Puerto del Carmen – 7th to 10th March. The main theme of Carnaval in Tias this year is Hollywood.

Teguise, La Graciosa – 15th to 17th March. The Wonderful World of Magic is the theme for Teguise´s carnival this year.

Tinajo – 15th to 17th March

Haria – 21st to 24th March. Haria´s theme for 2019 is the Circus

Playa Blanca – 25th to 30th March. The theme for Playa Blanca this year is Cuban Carnival

For anyone interested in the history of Carnaval, a new exhibition in the Casa Amarilla in Arrecife, Calle Leon y Castillo, shows traditional designs of Buches y Diabletes, the costumes long adopted by carnival celebrants in the past.