All the colour, creativity and tradition of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival will be bursting onto the streets of London this summer, as Carla Castro, Queen of the 2026 Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival, participates in Monday’s Notting Hill Carnival parade, coinciding with its 60th anniversary celebrations.
The Queen will dance her way through the streets of Notting Hill on ‘Icónica’, the spectacular float designed by Alexis Santana, on which she was crowned Queen of the Santa Cruz Carnival this past February. Standing over five metres tall and measuring some five metres wide, the creation is a true work of art in motion, bringing together the work of more than 30 talented Canarian artists, illustrators, craftspeople and creators.
A unique tradition of the Tenerife Carnival
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival is one of Europe’s most iconic celebrations and one of the Canary Islands’ greatest cultural symbols. Designated a Festival of International Tourist Interest, every year it transforms the island’s capital into a stage where music, design and creativity fill the streets for weeks on end.
One of its most eagerly awaited moments is always the Queen’s Grand Gala Night, a unique spectacle in which the candidates parade on majestic floats – known as ‘fantasías’ (fantasies) – that combine fashion, sculpture, engineering and craftsmanship, making them one of the most recognisable images of the Tenerife Carnival.
One of the most significant milestones in this historic collaboration between Santa Cruz and Notting Hill took place this past February, when Ian Comfort, Chairman of the Notting Hill Carnival, travelled to Tenerife to enjoy first-hand the Santa Cruz Carnival and sat on the jury responsible for selecting the 2026 Carnival Queen. The experience gave him a rare inside look at the sheer scale of the Santa Cruz Carnival as well as the chance to witness with awe the ‘fantasías’ taking part in the Queen’s Gala.
On that night, it was ‘Icónica’, designed by Alexis Santana and modelled by Carla Castro, that deservedly won the crown. More than just a costume, ‘Icónica’ is an artistic creation conceived as a tribute to the spirit of Carnival and the creative talent of the Canary Islands. The costume combines gauze, rhinestones, tinsel and lightweight structures to bring to life a monumental piece that will travel from Tenerife to London following a complex process of dismantling and reassembly.
The Canary Islands: so much more than sunshine and sand
The visit to London by the Santa Cruz Carnival Queen looks to showcase to the British public a much more diverse image of the Canary Islands. Beyond their world-famous climate and stunning beaches, the Canary Islands are a region with their own proud cultural identity, where traditions, music, folk festivals and creativity form part of everyday life.
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival perfectly embodies this other side to the Islands: a celebration rooted in popular culture that has become one of the Atlantic’s most significant cultural events.
This initiative, coordinated by The ShowRoom Mag, is supported by Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council through its Departments of Festivals and Societal Development; the Tenerife Island Council, through its Tourism Department; the Canary Islands Government and Spring Hotels Group.