Santiago de la Ribera celebrates its Carnival 2023 «with more enthusiasm than ever» with a programme of events that runs from 18 to 26 February in which none of the usual events are missing. The Ribera Carnival leaves no facet of the carnival uncelebrated and with pre-pandemic normality recovered, there will be a canine carnival, a children’s carnival, a carnival of associations, a night dedicated to the chirigotas, the festive world of the Drag Queen with the third edition of the Drag Contest, the fun and multitudinous Pasabares and the grand final parade.
The Councillor for Festivities, Isidoro Miñano, accompanied by Yaiza, from the Yembé troupe, representing the rest of the participating troupes, today presented the programme, which begins with one of the most important and eagerly awaited events, the gala election of the 2023 Carnival Queen, which will take place in the Carnival marquee, located on the Barnuevo esplanade, on Saturday 18 at 11pm.
A total of six muses, representing the comparsas Olé-Olá, Río, Akelarre, Los que Faltaban, Yembé and Brasilia, will compete for the coveted title awarded by an expert jury, after a presentation that combines spectacular designs with original staging. The gala will feature performances by violinist Lolo Alonso, Ballet Kebanna and singer Salva Ortega.
The Children’s Carnival Queen will be chosen by lottery on Sunday afternoon with a party for the little ones at 17:00h, with the participation of seven children’s muses who will also make a presentation of their proposals. In this case, the aspiring children’s queens will be the muses of Yembé, Río, Brasilia, Olé-Olá, Makulele, Akelarre and Los que Faltaban.
Once the Queens have been chosen, Carnival takes over the town for the whole week with daily events, including the fun Canine Carnival which celebrates its 7th edition on Sunday 18th at 12:00h on the Barnuevo esplanade. On this occasion the canine water rescue group Grescan will take part with an exhibition of their rescue dogs. The event will be a charity event, so registrations will be made with a donation of food and products for pets, which the organisation will give to Galgos del Sol, Patitas Unidas and Abandon2.
Shrove Tuesday will be for the little ones with a party from 17h . Wednesday will be reserved for local associations of people with disabilities so that they can experience the carnival up close and personal. The best chirigotas of the Region will be performing in the carnival tent on the night of Thursday 23rd at 22:00h . The same will happen with the Drag Queens who will compete for the first prize in the III Carnival Competition. The gala will feature the national premiere of the show that the singer Roser dedicates to Raffaella Carrá.
The conviviality and fun is guaranteed with the Pasabares, which the carnival family is living intensely, reserved for Saturday 25 February when from 12:00h it will begin its festive tour of the local bars. The big Carnival parade will leave from the IES Mar Menor at 16:00h on Sunday 21 February, heading towards the Barnuevo esplanade, crossing the Mar Menor and Sandoval avenues with 30 local and foreign groups and more than 900 people on parade.
The councillor for Fiestas, Isidoro Miñano thanked «the tireless work of the troupes and the committee with its board» in organising a festival «that we want to continue to promote so that it continues to grow and attract people to our town. Miñano invited people to enjoy the carnival «prepared with so much enthusiasm, work and affection by the carnival family». Yaiza, representing the Carnival troupes, expressed herself in the same vein, inviting people to enjoy the party and to get to know the carnival better, inviting them to collaborate by buying a wristband that will be sold for 1 euro at all the events in the programme.