The City Promotion Society of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has declared the tender for the production of the San Lorenzo festivities, which begin on 31 July, void. The base budget was €220,000.
The San Lorenzo festivities, one of the most emblematic celebrations in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, face their 2026 edition without a company to handle production and general services. With only a week until the start, the City Promotion Society had to declare the public tender void, as no bids were received.
The contract, with a base budget of €220,000, covered the period from 27 July to 24 August, including the setup, development, and dismantling of the necessary infrastructure. However, the lack of bidders now forces the City Council to seek an urgent solution.
The festival, declared of regional tourist interest, officially kicks off on Friday, 31 July, with a parade of giant puppets and the opening speech by Mayor Carolina Darias, and runs until 16 August. Among the planned events are the offering pilgrimage on 1 August, the drag queen gala on the 8th, and the traditional fireworks display on 9 August.
Given the urgency, the most likely route is a negotiated procedure without publicity, a direct award contemplated in legislation for cases like this. Emergency processing, reserved for disasters or immediate needs, seems ruled out as this is a foreseeable and scheduled event.
This is not the first time the City Council has faced contracting issues for its festivities. Last year, the contracts for San Lorenzo were signed on the very day they began, 1 August. Additionally, the 2025 Naval Festival is experiencing delays in payments due to the contract not being awarded in time.
No statements have been made from the Department of Festivities, led by Betsaida González, regarding the next steps. Meanwhile, residents of the San Lorenzo neighbourhood and the entire city hope that the celebration can proceed normally, although uncertainty grows as the key dates approach.
The tender document that was declared void included the obligation to provide fences, stages, lights, screens, seven portable toilets, two ambulances, provisions for the fireworks display, and the volcano of rockets, as well as a reserve of €1,400 for the drag queen gala. All of this will need to be covered by the company that is ultimately contracted.
The 2026 programme starts on 31 July with the opening speech by Carolina Darias and continues on 1 August with the flag-raising and the offering pilgrimage. On the 2nd, there will be a craft fair and folk performances, and on 3 August, the national folklore festival 'Isla de Gran Canaria'. On 4 August, the Atacayte group will perform, and on the 6th, there will be a tea party for the elderly with Mariachi Peleón. The 7th is the Merengue Fest, the 8th is the drag queen gala, and the 9th features the main events with the rocket display at dawn and the night fireworks. The 10th of August is the day of the patron saint.
The situation reflects the recurring difficulties faced by the City Council in awarding contracts for popular festivities on time, a problem that affects both planning and the city's image. A solution must be found in the coming days to avoid the cancellation of a tradition that gathers thousands of people each year in the San Lorenzo neighbourhood.
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