The Cabildo and the Designers’ Association Launch the First International Congress on Carnival Professionalisation
The event will bring together representatives from the world’s most notable carnivals alongside professionals, designers, researchers, and entrepreneurs in a pioneering forum aimed at reflecting on the future of this festive expression as a cultural, economic, and tourism driver.
Santa Cruz de Tenerife will host the First International Congress on Carnival Professionalisation, taking place on 16th and 17th October at the Tenerife Espacio de las Artes (TEA). This event has been organised by the Association of Designers and Artisans of the Carnival of Tenerife and the Cabildo of Tenerife, in collaboration with the City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the Government of the Canary Islands, and the Islander Craft Company. The congress will convene representatives from the world’s premier carnivals, along with professionals, designers, researchers, and entrepreneurs, in a pioneering forum that seeks to reflect on the future of this festive manifestation as a motor for culture, economy, and tourism.
Unprecedented Event Announcement
This unprecedented event was announced today (Monday) at a press conference attended by the President of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila; the Councillor for Employment and Education, Efraín Medina; the Mayor of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Manuel Bermúdez; the President of the Carnival Artisans Association, Santi Castro; and Tania Bethencourt, a member of the management team of CIFP Las Indias, a collaborating entity.
Importance of Carnival
“The Carnival of Tenerife is one of our greatest identities, an element that unites us as a people and projects us to the world with pride. We’re not just talking about a party: we’re discussing culture, creativity, employment, and sustainable economic development. Each year, thousands of individuals—designers, artisans, musicians, dancers—execute a spectacle that transcends borders. With this congress, we take a further step: we aim to professionalise and give visibility to those who support Carnival through their effort and talent,” stated Rosa Dávila.
Meanwhile, Efraín Medina remarked, “What we want is to empower ourselves because it is not utopian to claim that we have the best carnival in the world and we want to progress as the international epicentre, discussing sustainability and creating professional spaces.”
José Manuel Bermúdez declared, “For Santa Cruz, the celebration of this congress focused on the professionalisation of Carnival is fantastic news. All of us present here are aware of the enormous effort behind each of the events that our Carnival showcases at every edition.” He added, “We have the largest associative network in the Canary Islands, with over 100 entities participating each year in the Carnival, employing more than 10,000 people working for and in the Carnival, a festival that generates an economic impact of almost 40 million euros. Thus, initiatives like this, where we can exchange experiences from other places and carnivals, provide a pathway for that economic impact to lead to more and better employment for the society of Santa Cruz and particularly the Carnival community.”
Support and Participation
Santi Castro expressed gratitude to the administrations involved in the congress for their support. “The commitment remains strong; we are collaborating to achieve our set objectives and working to ensure that Carnival continues to be a source of employment, with our identity and future remaining vibrant.”
Furthermore, Tania Bethencourt explained that the event will feature representatives from the Carnivals of Venice (Italy), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Cádiz (Spain), Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain), Barranquilla (Colombia), Mindelo (Cape Verde), Murcia (Spain), and Düsseldorf (Germany), ensuring a diverse and comparative view of how Carnival is lived, managed, and projected around the world.
Focus on Contemporary Carnival Challenges
The Congress aims to establish a stable meeting and reflection space on the multiple challenges facing contemporary Carnival: from the protection of intangible cultural heritage to exploring new avenues for employment, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and innovation in resource management.
By hosting this First International Congress on Carnival Professionalisation, Tenerife positions itself as the epicentre of a global conversation around the festival, reinforcing Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s role as the international capital of Carnival and enhancing its image in global cultural and tourism contexts.
Registration and Participation
Registration for the Congress is open via the official website of the Association of Designers and Artisans of the Carnival of Tenerife at www.adacarnavaltenerife.com, with both in-person and virtual options available to allow for broad and diverse participation. The capacity will be limited to 185 people and it will also be streamable online.
The programme will unfold over two days:
Thursday, 16th October:
- 09:00 Registration
- 09:30 Institutional presentation
- 10:00 Thematic panel “Carnivals around the World”
- 11:30 Thematic panel “Carnival as Intangible Cultural Heritage”
- 12:30 Thematic panel “Economic and Social Impact of Carnival in Cities”
Friday, 17th October:
- 09:00 Thematic panel “Carnival: a Source of Employment and New Educational Proposals”
- 10:00 Thematic panel “Keys to Entrepreneurship in the Carnival Sector”
- 11:30 Thematic panel “Good Environmental Practices Linked to Carnival”
- 12:30 Thematic panel “Innovation, Challenges, and New Opportunities”
- 13:30 Closing and conclusion.
