Burial of the Sardine Festival Los Sauces 2024

The Burial of the Sardine is one of the most picturesque and emblematic ceremonies marking the end of Carnival in many parts of Spain and Latin American countries. This tradition is characterized by a parade that mockingly imitates a funeral procession, culminating in the burning of a figure, typically a sardine, symbolizing thus the farewell to excesses and the beginning of a period of purification and renewal. It signifies the end of the carnival's revelry and the return to order, symbolically burying the old to make way for the new with energy and hope for social transformation.

On the island of La Palma, this festivity takes on special significance in several of its municipalities, such as Santa Cruz de La Palma, Los LLanos, Puntallana, and Barlovento. However, it is in Los Sauces, in the northeast of the island, where the Burial of the Sardine reaches unparalleled notoriety, being recognized as a Festival of Tourist Interest of the Canary Islands.

This event, which will be held on February 24th late into the night. However, the festival, which starts at 14:00 hours in the Plaza de Montserrat, is distinguished by its lively festive atmosphere, with parades of batucada bands and accompanied by the music of groups such as Bomba and his Orchestra, Armonía Show, Libertad, Tropicana's, Leyenda Joven, and Maracaibo.

The Burial of the Sardine in Los Sauces is undoubtedly a must-see for those wishing to experience the Carnival traditions of La Palma up close.