What does the festival mean for visitors and residents?
Coming to Tacoronte costs nothing, because entry to all events is free. According to the Ayuntamiento (town hall), the Festival de Novela Histórica Ciudad de Tacoronte runs from 5 to 15 November 2026.
The programme is in Spanish, and the council names no offers in other languages. For those who do not speak Spanish, the exhibitions of illustrations and paintings are the easiest way in.
The council's announcement does not mention registration. To be sure, call 922 561 350 or email prensa@aytotacoronte.org.
What is on the programme on opening day?
On Thursday 5 November, two exhibitions open at the Casa de la Cultura at 17:30. The festival's first book presentation follows at 18:30.
José Farrujia de la Rosa presents his book Guanches. Relatos de nuestro mundo ancestral, published in 2026 by Le Canarien Ediciones. Otto Farrujia introduces him.
At 19:30 the fourth edition of the short film festival Festival de Cortos Tacoronte Express begins. The actress Elisa Cano leads it this year.
The Casa de la Cultura stands in the former Augustinian monastery on the Plaza del Cristo. According to the council, the events are spread across several halls.
What is José Farrujia's book about?
In his book, Farrujia gives a voice to warriors, wise women, shepherds, enslaved people and keepers of memory, says the Ayuntamiento. Some of the characters are real and some are invented.
The stories describe the lives of the indigenous Canary Islanders before and after the conquest. The council says it is Farrujia's first venture into literature, and that he avoids an idealised picture of the past.
The Guanches were the pre-colonial people of Tenerife. Explanatory texts in the book put the stories in context.
Farrujia is a professor at the Universidad de La Laguna and a doctor of history. The council says he has written 15 books and almost a hundred articles on Canarian archaeology, educational innovation and the promotion of cultural heritage.
Which exhibitions can visitors see?
Ilustradoras & Ilustradas: El Archivo shows 25 works by women illustrators who were born or live in the Canary Islands. The pictures belong to the XXIII Salón Internacional del Cómic y la Ilustración de Tenerife, organised by the Fundación Cine+Cómics and the Cátedra Cultural Moebius of the Universidad de La Laguna.
A QR code next to the show leads to the digital archive of the Fundación Cine+Cómics. The council gives 17 October as the end date, which has already passed, and does not say how long the show actually runs.
Indigenismo Mágico is a retrospective of the artist Roberto Perdomo, born in Arrecife on Lanzarote. His large and medium-sized canvases reinterpret island landscapes with ancient geometric motifs.
There are also original works on paper that Perdomo made for book illustrations, shown in this form for the first time, says the council. It names work for Antonio Tejera Gaspar, Rumen Sosa and Juan Cruz.
The exhibition halls are open Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 20:00. On Saturdays the hours are 09:00 to 13:00, and the council gives no times for Sundays.
What did the festival offer in earlier years?
The third edition, from 2 to 12 November 2023, had more than 30 activities, including 14 book presentations, four plays, two exhibitions and five workshops. Simon Scarrow was among the guests.
The fifth edition in 2025 centred on medieval Japan and the 250th birthday of Jane Austen. It offered author talks, two plays, Second World War re-enactments, role-playing games and three exhibitions.
The town council's culture department organises the festival, and in 2025 it had support from the Cabildo de Tenerife (island government). Luis Zueco won the Premio Ciudad de Tacoronte de Novela Histórica that year.
Each year brings a new theme, but the scale has stayed at just over 30 activities. The organisers have not published figures on visitors or costs.
What is still unannounced before 15 November?
Film forums are Grand Canary on 6 November and Mararía on 7 November, both at 20:30, and a poetry reading circle follows on 5 November at 18:00. The council also lists theatre and storytelling for children, but dates and times are not yet published.
The winner of the 2026 Premio Ciudad de Tacoronte and the closing programme are also unknown. Anyone planning to attend a particular event should check with the council first.
For plays, it is worth looking at auditoriocapitol.com, which handled reservations in 2025. The council has not said whether the same applies in 2026.