The green color of St. Patrick's festivity decorates the old town of Puerto del Carmen, La Tiñosa, as a symbol of its connection with Ireland. Lanzarote's first tourist area, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, is preparing to host thousands of residents and visitors during St. Patrick´s Festival Puerto del Carmen 2026, which will take place on March 15, 16 and 17.
The program was presented this Tuesday at the CC El Fondeadero by the mayor of Tías, José Juan Cruz, the CEO of the Foreign Promotion Society (SPEL) Turismo Lanzarote, Héctor Fernández, the director of Social Responsibility of the Tourist Centers (CACT), Elizabeth Cedrés, and the representative of Kalma Eventos y Producciones, Yurena Martín.
The participants highlighted the historical link and the “extraordinary relationship” between Ireland and Lanzarote, specifically the area of La Tiñosa, where such a quantity of Irish pubs are concentrated “that has nothing to envy of the streets of Dublin, with which we feel a great closeness,” declared the mayor.
José Juan Cruz, stated that “beyond the figures, of the more than 385,000 tourists from Ireland who visited Lanzarote in 2025, what is truly important are the people. They are the 900 Irish residents who have decided to make Lanzarote their home. They are the entrepreneurs who have invested in Puerto del Carmen. They are the visitors who return every year because they feel that there is something special here”.
The mayor especially thanked the involvement of all collaborating entities in this festival, among which he highlighted Cabildo Lanzarote, Turismo Lanzarote, SPEL, CACT and the Government of the Canary Islands through Promotur Turismo de Canarias.
Héctor Fernández indicated that “from SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote we want to express our gratitude to the Irish people for the loyalty and affection they have always shown towards our destination. For us, it is an honor to be able to share and recreate on the island a celebration as significant as St. Patrick's, bringing its traditions and culture closer to those who accompany us today. It is our way of reciprocating that historical relationship and making them feel at home in Lanzarote on such a special day.”
The director of Social Responsibility of the Tourist Centers, Elizabeth Cedrés, encouraged the island's population to participate in the program organized for Saint Patrick's Day, “a very special celebration for a community that has found in our beaches, landscapes and climate the ideal place to enjoy their winter holidays”.
Furthermore, he invited to “let themselves be infected by the festive atmosphere of these days in honor of the patron saint of the Emerald Isle, and to share the green, the music and the joy of a very beloved community closely linked to the tourist history of Puerto del Carmen and Lanzarote”.
Yurena Martín, from Kalma Events and Productions, described the program and highlighted the novelties of this edition, inasmuch as the sports activities will be moved to Los Pocillos beach on March 15 with a joint exhibition of hurling and Canarian wrestling, in addition to the solidarity walk dedicated to raising awareness about mental health and suicide prevention.
On March 16 and 17, El Varadero square, in the historic heart of La Tiñosa, will be the epicenter of the celebration, with musical performances, Celtic rhythms, concerts, Canarian and international gastronomy, and cultural activities.
And on Tuesday, March 17, St. Patrick's Day, the traditional mass in the church of La Tiñosa will be celebrated in the morning, a very special event for the Irish community, and the flag raising in El Varadero square. In the afternoon, the grand St. Patrick's Day parade will travel part of Avenida de las Playas to El Varadero, filling the atmosphere with music, bagpipes, dance, flags, green color, and festive spirit.
