With the intention of announcing and promoting this local fiesta outside the city walls to all of Spain, the Carnival of Cádiz 2007 will be launched in Madrid for the tenth consecutive year. On 12th January an eminent “Gaditano” (person from Cádiz) will once again act as Master of Ceremonies.

This year, José Oneto, national journalism prize winner and chairman of the board of the press group Zeta will officially launch this year’s Carnival at the Conde Duque cultural centre at about 9.30pm.

Oneto, who is originally from San Fernando, will be accompanied by the principal local authorities as well as the “chirigota” (satirical carnival comic group) and “coro” (carnival choir) who won last year’s competition, namely “Los aguafiestas” and “Comediantes”.

Every year illustrious and well-known faces attend, and the Mayor of Madrid, himself, is amongst those who rarely misses this event. On 12th January the capital of Spain transforms for a few hours into an annex of Cádiz, with typical food from the province of Cádiz which is so popular in Madrid, the unique local humour and ingenuity and the sounds and 3 / 4 typical rhythm of carnival.

Cádiz will take over Madrid to the rhythm of the bass drum in order to promote and inform the press and media of the programme of events for this year’s Carnival.

Carnival at the Falla Theatre

With the stage set, we return to Cádiz where during the month of January various unique gastronomic celebrations take place: “pestiñada”, “erizada” and “ostionada” in which three typical seasonal local delicacies are consumed on the streets of Cádiz: “pestiños” (honey-coated pastries), erizos de mar (sea urchins) and “ostiones” (local oysters).

These feasts lead up the Carnival competition at the Falla Theatre, where from 22 January to 16 February more than a hundred groups, competing in four different musical formats (“cuartetos”, “chirigotas”, “comparsas” and “coros”), lampoon and satirise, in good humour, local, national and international events, figures and idiosyncrasies.

Pasión Vega

After the final of the official competition at the Falla Theatre on the night of 16 February, the street and the people take over and become the main protagonists. On the 17 February Pasión Vega, the singer from Málaga, officially opens the carnival celebrations with a speech (“pregón”) given in front of the crowds of people who congregate in San Antonio Square.

The night of the 17th is the big night not to be missed. The city swells with visitors and the only rules are to come in fancy dress and to be prepared to have a good time.

Non-stop carnival

The next day is also busy and crowded. Plaza de la Libertad is taken over by the “carrusel de coros” - carnival choirs who sing to the crowds from floats which circle the square.

Children, however, may prefer to enjoy the big colourful carnival procession which parades down the main avenue. On Monday 19 February the “coros” return to Plaza de la Libertad, but as it is only a local bank holiday, the square is less crow