Is there an entrance fee?

The municipal note announces a programme for all ages and mentions neither tickets nor registration. The council does not say whether the colour powder is handed out free or sold.

What is on the programme?

Colour-powder throws, DJ sessions, Bollywood dance performances, workshops, a craft fair and food trucks; for children, bouncy castles and a foam party.

What should I wear and bring?

White or old clothes, sunglasses or goggles, a sealed case for your phone, sunscreen, water, plus a towel and a change of shirt. Afterwards, shake off the dry powder first, then shower.

Is this a religious festival?

No. Hindu Holi is a spring festival held on the full moon of the month of Phalguna, usually between late February and mid-March. The event in Las Palmas is a municipal colour party that borrows the name and the imagery.

LAS PALMAS · GRAN CANARIA · FIESTAS

Holi Fest 2026: a sea of colour on the Plaza de Canarias

This Sunday, 6 September 2026, the Plaza de Canarias behind the Parque Santa Catalina in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria turns into one big cloud of colour. According to a city hall press release and a report by Nublo TV, the council is staging a new edition of the Holi Fest, with colour powder, DJ sets, Bollywood dance and activities for the whole family.

6 September 2026 · By Lucía Medina Reyes · 5 min

People at a Holi colour festival (illustrative)

Photo: Shikhers, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Symbolbild).

The city says the event runs for five hours, from 11:00 to 16:00, and is aimed explicitly at all ages. Here is what has been confirmed – and, just as openly, which details the council has not published.

What happens, and exactly when

The Holi Fest takes place on Sunday, 6 September 2026, from 11:00 to 16:00. It is run by the Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria through the Concejalía del Distrito Isleta-Puerto-Guanarteme – the district department, not the youth department. District councillor Héctor Alemán presented the day, as reported by Nublo TV, as a chance for families and residents to share and enjoy public space.

According to the municipal note, the programme includes throws of Holi powder, DJ sessions, performances by Bollywood dancers, workshops, a craft fair and a food-truck area. For children there are bouncy castles and a foam party. The council describes the day as a “jornada de ocio y convivencia” – a day of leisure and community life.

What the council has not published: the names of DJs or dance groups, a running order for the individual acts, any capacity limit, and whether the colour powder is handed out free or sold. The note mentions neither tickets nor prior registration; it presents the programme as open to everyone. If you want certainty, check the city’s official channels before you set off.

Where the Plaza de Canarias is – and how to get there

The Plaza de Canarias sits on the city’s isthmus, immediately behind the Parque Santa Catalina and next to the Santa Catalina bus station. From there it is a short walk to the cruise terminal at the Muelle Santa Catalina, and an equally short walk the other way to Playa de Las Canteras. It is one of the busiest corners of the city, in the heart of the port and hotel district.

The Santa Catalina interchange is the main hub for Guaguas Municipales (city buses) and Global (interurban buses). Many urban lines stop at Parque Santa Catalina; the exact line allocation changes from time to time, so it is worth checking a current timetable. Coming straight from Gran Canaria Airport, take Global line 60, which terminates at Santa Catalina and, according to available timetable information, runs roughly every 30 minutes from around 05:15 to 23:15; the journey takes some 25 to 45 minutes depending on the source.

A note for drivers: parking around Santa Catalina is tight on a Sunday morning, and events can bring local road closures. The guagua, or a walk along Las Canteras, is usually the calmer option.

Practicalities: clothes, colour powder, what to bring

Colour festivals follow one simple rule: wear what you do not mind ruining. White clothing makes the colours pop hardest; old clothing spares your nerves. The same goes for shoes. Sunglasses or swimming goggles protect your eyes, and a scarf or buff helps you avoid breathing powder in directly.

Phones and cameras belong in a sealed case or a zip bag – fine powder finds every gap, and the foam party adds moisture to the mix. Rubbing oil or moisturiser into skin and hair beforehand makes the colour easier to remove later. Afterwards, shake the dry powder out first, then shower.

The council does not state what the powder is made of. At comparable events the colours are usually cornstarch with food colouring. Anyone with sensitive airways, asthma or a skin condition is best off keeping some distance from the throws. And because the September sun in Las Palmas still has real strength: bring sunscreen, a hat and water. A little cash is useful for the food trucks; the note gives no prices.

Where Holi comes from – and how the municipal version differs

Holi is originally a Hindu spring festival, celebrated on the full moon of the month of Phalguna, which falls between late February and mid-March depending on the year; it stands for the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring and, in many traditions, the love of Radha and Krishna. The night before, a bonfire is lit for Holika Dahan; the following day people throw colours at one another.

The Holi Fest on the Plaza de Canarias is explicitly not a religious observance, and it does not fall in spring either. It is a municipal event that borrows the name and the visual language of the Indian festival, as dozens of European cities do. The Bollywood dancing on the programme is a stage show, not a rite.

Knowing that makes the day easier to enjoy. It is worth naming the original rather than pretending to reproduce it. Throwing powder, dancing, meeting the neighbours – that is what this Sunday is about. The religious meaning of Holi stays where it belongs: with the people who observe it as a matter of faith.

Late summer in Las Palmas: more than one Sunday

The Holi Fest lands in a busy weekend. In Teror the Fiestas del Pino reach their peak: the programme placed the Bajada de la Imagen on 5 September, and 8 September is the day of the Virgen del Pino, with solemn mass and procession. In the capital itself, the Plaza de España and the Pueblo Canario resume their Canarian folklore performances on the first weekend of September, with the Agrupación Folclórica Chemida on the Sunday.

The same district has more coming. The municipal concert series Música viva brings live music to the Las Canteras seafront once a month from August to November, always from 19:00; the September date is 12 September on the Plaza del Pilar with Velvet Flores and Laiv. In October, the Festival Sónora follows from the 16th to the 18th on the Plaza de Santa Ana, with free entry on the Friday and Saturday until capacity is reached.

On top of that, the municipal youth programme Panza de Burro is entering its final summer stretch with further activities in September. The colour Sunday on the Plaza de Canarias is not a one-off, then, but part of a crowded end-of-summer calendar.

Tip: Wear white or old clothes, bring sunglasses, seal your phone in a waterproof case – and pack a spare T-shirt and a towel for the journey home.
Getting there by guagua: the Santa Catalina interchange is right next to the Plaza de Canarias, and parking in the district fills up fast on Sundays.

Please note: Confirmed are the date, the time (11:00–16:00), the location and the programme elements as announced by city hall and reported by Nublo TV.
Not confirmed are DJ or artist names, a running order for individual acts, any capacity limit, and whether the colour powder is handed out free or sold. Check the city’s official channels for last-minute changes.

Key facts

When: Sunday, 6 September 2026, 11:00 to 16:00 (five hours), according to the Ayuntamiento de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Where: Plaza de Canarias, behind the Parque Santa Catalina, next to the Santa Catalina bus station.
Organiser: city hall through the Concejalía del Distrito Isleta-Puerto-Guanarteme; the district councillor is Héctor Alemán.
Programme: colour-powder throws, DJ sets, Bollywood dance, workshops, craft fair, food trucks, bouncy castles and a foam party – for all ages.
Previous edition: the council held the Holi Fest on 28 June 2025 at the same place and the same hours.
Getting there: Santa Catalina interchange (Guaguas Municipales and Global); from the airport, Global line 60 terminates at Santa Catalina, roughly every 30 minutes per timetable information.

FAQ

When and where is the Holi Fest 2026?: On Sunday, 6 September 2026, from 11:00 to 16:00 on the Plaza de Canarias behind the Parque Santa Catalina in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, according to city hall and Nublo TV.
Is there an entrance fee?: The municipal note announces a programme for all ages and mentions neither tickets nor registration. The council does not say whether the colour powder is handed out free or sold.
What is on the programme?: Colour-powder throws, DJ sessions, Bollywood dance performances, workshops, a craft fair and food trucks; for children, bouncy castles and a foam party.
What should I wear and bring?: White or old clothes, sunglasses or goggles, a sealed case for your phone, sunscreen, water, plus a towel and a change of shirt. Afterwards, shake off the dry powder first, then shower.
Is this a religious festival?: No. Hindu Holi is a spring festival held on the full moon of the month of Phalguna, usually between late February and mid-March. The event in Las Palmas is a municipal colour party that borrows the name and the imagery.

Read on

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