Enjoy Dia de Canarias 2026

Today it's Dia de Canarias day once again, the Canarian 'national' holiday when the inhabitants of the Canaries are allowed to proudly say ''Soy Canario'' (I'm Canarian) and celebrate their feeling of national identity under Spanish colonial rule. Towns and villages enjoy one of the region’s biggest annual cultural celebrations with all things considered typically Canarian. The public holiday is the anniversary of the first session of the Canary Islands Parliament in 1983 and is celebrated every year with traditional music, dancing, food, concerts and many other local events across all of the islands. Wherever you are in the Canaries you will find local events, some also before and after the actual day itself. Below is the poster for the main event in Valle Gran Rey, La Gomera, which starts at 2 pm in the harbour of Vueltas and continues all day until the early hours of Sunday morning:

St. Brigid’s day in La Gomera

St. Brgid’s day was celebrated in La Gomera with a cross made from local rushes and a session of Irish traditional music, song, and even some Irish dancing. Here as in Ireland today is a “festivo” (holiday), but it’s Dia de La Candelaria, the patron saint of the Canary Islands.

Canary Islands Day 2025

The Canary Islands celebrate their national holiday Dia de Canarias every year on the 30th of May with lots of activities, concerts and celebrations, read more about it here...

The 2025 programme for Valle Gran Rey (above) has lots of local and Canarian folk music and more and will take place behind the bus station (where the Sunday market is situated) and begins at 1pm.

Centenary of the arrival of a virgin and a happy 2025

 First of all let me wish you all a very happy and healthy 2025. 

2025 marks the centenary of the arrival of the Vigin de Los Reyes in the parish chapel of Los Reyes in El Guro/Casa de La Seda in Valle Gran Rey, making this year's Fiesta de Los Reyes special. As you know Epiphany on the 6th of January os the main Christmas day in Spain, when Los Reyes (aka Los Magos) bring the presents, and as the oldest church in Valle Gran Rey is dedicated to Los Reyes this is one of the most important days here. The celebrations started early in December with minor events and all culminates over the coming days with the annual procession and the ensuing fiesta (see programme below). More about all the above festivities here: https://lagomera1.blogspot.com/2016/01/main-christmas-presents-and-fiesta.html

Don't call them Spanish: Canary Islands Day

Canary Islands Day - ''For the (Spanish) government from the Canaries'' says the 2nd poster

Thursday May 30th is Dia de Canarias, the Canarian 'national' holiday when the inhabitants of the Canaries are allowed to proudly say ''Soy Canario'' (I'm Canarian) and celebrate their national identity under Spanish colonial rule. 

It is the annual celebration of all things that make the Canaries and their people so unique and different from their Spanish colonial masters and for some it also means remembering the victims of the Spanish conquest during which much of the aboriginal population was brutally and heinously exterminated. So please don't call the locals 'Spanish' when here on holidays. Most will quietly forgive your ignorance and keep smiling, but they'd much prefer to be called ''Canarios''. The Spanish are called ''Godos'' (Goths) in the Canaries, all other foreigners, especially fair-skinned ones, are ''Guiris''.

There are many events in virtually all towns and villages that pay homage to the rich history, vibrant culture, and unique traditions of the Canary Islands to mark May 30th. On this day in 1983, the archipelago was granted autonomous community status within the Kingdom of Spain, same as other regions e.g. Catalonia previously, recognising a distinct culture and granting self-governance in some respects, but with little real autonomy. 

The annual celebrations began this weekend and continue until the next, peaking during the Canaries' national holiday on Thursday. Below the programme for Valle Gran Rey where the main event takes place behind the bus station from noon on May 30th:

Oh when will we see and hear this again ?

Impromptu music session at the bus station bar in Valle Gran Rey in November 2018.

Actually there is enough space between the participants to satisfy the current distancing rules...

Rare concert in new venue

A rare concert by Diego Barbeito aka 'Capitan Amor' is happening this Sunday, January 12th 2020, at 7:30 pm in a new venue in Valle Gran Rey. The former disco 'Quasimodo' has reopened as 'Club 432' after many years of closure. It is right at the beach of Vueltas in the basement of the apartment block that also houses the pensioners social club (formerly 'Bar Nº2'). Diego Barbeito is an excellent Argentinian Tango musician and artist, who as 'Capitan Amor' performs his own modern electronic rock-pop compositions and songs. He has been living and working in Valle Gran Rey for many years with his Argentinian wife Manix and they both also teach classic Tango dancing.

A tango workshop and concert will take place in the same venue the following Sunday, January 19th 2020 (see below).

Major Reggae Festival in Valle Gran Rey

A major Reggae event is coming to the port of Vueltas in Valle Gran Rey this Saturday, Sept. 28th 2019 from 8 pm. Several bands will perform during the night. The fifth edition of the 'Reggae Can' festival is touring the Canary Islands and is the largest event of its kind here. This year the theme is 'Reggae Against Plastic' and no single use plastics will be allowed at the event. No cover charge and all are welcome.

A previous 'Reggae Can' event.  Image: eldia.es (click for more info)

Free reggae concert on the capital's beach

Jazz concert in San Sebastian de La Gomera

A free concert of jazz music tomorrow on the main square of La Gomera's capital 

Fiesta del Carmen 2019 programme

Above the programme for the 2019 Fiesta del Carmen in ValleGran Rey.
Vallehermoso and Playa de Santiago also hold fiestas in honour of Carmen (see below) so there's no shortage of entertainment in La Gomera this week...

Get ready for New Year's Eve 2018

There'll be plenty of entertainment to welcome the new year in La Gomera during 'Noche Vieja' (literally 'old night', i.e. New Year's Eve). The main fiestas will be in the larger towns' squares and in Valle Gran Rey it is the turn of the Plaza San Pedro in La Playa with three bands playing from about 10 pm until 6am. In the capital the town's main square will fill up for the music before midnight. Usually people ring in the new year with 12 grapes, one for every month of the coming year and a glass of cava (Spanish champagne) at midnight, often after a meal in a restaurant. Most restaurants will have special set menus which often include the grapes and a glass of bubbly. But do book your table early as many will fill to capacity. There will be many open private and public parties and live music gigs in Valle Gran Rey, e.g. the Cacatua will have oldies in the beer garden and in its upper bar DJs. It's situated in the harbour village of Vueltas, generally the most lively area at night. There's several more options all over Valle Gran Rey and I'm sure you'll be able to find them as you will hear them. Some parties only get really going after midnight and continue into the early hours of the 1st of January, so make sure to have a good siesta-nap during the day before you go out...

Harbour village 'Noche en Blanco' 2018

Above the programme for the 2018 Noche en Blanco (night in white) Christmas  promotion in the harbour area of Valle Gran Rey which offers entertainment for young and old, live music in the streets and special offers in the shops - all happening in several spots around the area this Friday Dec. 21st 2018 from 5pm. Don't miss Fran Baraja and band, who drew a large crowd last year with their lively set. They'll be playing twice on the corner where the 'Bistro' cafe is in the harbour village of Vueltas. 

Free gospel music concert tonight

As part of the 2018 edition of the Gospel Canarias Festival there will be a gospel music show with The Believers Gospel Singers including drums, bass and keyboards from the US (above) in San Sebastian de La Gomera this Saturday, Nov. 15th 2018. This year's concert will be open-air on the capital's main square at 9 pm. The same group will perform the following day in Los Cristianos on Tenerife where the cover charge will be € 15, but the event is free of charge here in La Gomera. Aren't we lucky here on this little island, where so many events are free...

Art exhibition with live music

Due to the huge success last week artist Pero is repeating his art exhibition with live music in Tanya's shop in La Playa, Valle Gran Rey this Saturday from 6pm as part of the Noche en Blanco (see previous post).

'White night' 2018 in La Playa

Above the programme for the 2018 Noche en Blanco (night in white) Christmas  promotion in the La Playa area of Valle Gran Rey which offers entertainment for young and old, live music in the streets and special offers in the shops - all this Saturday Dec. 15th 2018 from 5pm.  Another, larger Noche en Blanco will take place on Friday 21st of Dec. in the area near the harbour of Valle Gran Rey.

Flamenco Sunday lunchtime

The Sunday lunchtime music sessions continue a Ramiro's bus station bar and cafeteria in La Calera with Ulises (on left above) and friends playing their flamenco and fusion music on the 9th of Dec 2018 from around 1 pm. After that an open music session should follow as usual...

Interesting cARTon exhibition

There's an interesting art exhibition in Valle Gran Rey tomorrow night from 6 pm. Pero, especially known for his art works fashioned from discarded cardboard packaging which he calls cARTon will exhibit his latest works in Tanya's shop (Taller de Tanya) in one of the backstreets of La Playa, near the main tourist office. There will also be live music by Jelila. Pero used to be seen regularly at sunset in front of 'Bar Maria' (see image below taken on a cold January evening in 2015) with his small mobile art stall. All are invited to tomorrow's free event.

Wine Fiesta 2018

This year's wine fiesta will take place in the main square in San Sebastian de La Gomera this
Friday, Dec. 7th 2018,  from 8pm to 11pm with tastings of local wines, live music and snacks

Last chances to hear this..

...amazing duo of Tom Words featuring Strat 7rieder (sic) play in Valle Gran Rey this year as Tom is leaving the island soon again. Tonight, Friday 23rd Nov. 2018, they'll be playing in Monolo's intimate music and sports bar 'Teguerguenche' which is near the statue in La Puntilla and beside the wood-oven pizzeria Pinochio. So, get into Manolo's  from  around 8:30pm and enjoy some fine Blues, Rock, and Tom's own songs with a few drinks and snacks.

You can see them again at Ramiro's bus station bar near the bridge in La Calera on Sunday from 1 pm lunchtime with a spectacular view across the bay and there may even some surprise guest musicians apearing. Then there will be the usual Sunday afternoon open session/sing-song to follow from 3pm towards sunset...