Malaga Carnival 2027: COAC competition and street celebration dates

The Malaga Carnival 2027 will take place earlier than usual, beginning only a few weeks after the Christmas festivities.

The calendar will once again be divided between the singing groups competition in the city’s theatres and the subsequent programme of free performances and celebrations in the historic centre.

The Official Carnival Singing Groups Competition, generally known as the COAC, will run from 16 to 29 January 2027. Once the competition winners have been announced, the Carnival will move into the streets from Saturday, 30 January until Sunday, 7 February.

The detailed programme of performances, galas, parades and street activities has yet to be published, but the main dates are already available for anyone planning a visit to Malaga.

Malaga Carnival COAC 2027 dates

The competition will be divided into three stages and held at two different venues.

Preliminary rounds at Teatro ESAD

The preliminary stage will take place from 16 to 22 January 2027 at the theatre of Malaga’s School of Dramatic Art in the Teatinos district.

Registered groups competing in the different categories will present their new costumes and repertoires to the judges and audience.

Semi-finals at Teatro Cervantes

The groups that qualify will progress to the semi-finals, taking place from 24 to 27 January at Teatro Cervantes.

Moving to the historic theatre traditionally marks one of the most important stages of the competition, bringing together the groups that received the highest scores during the preliminary rounds.

COAC grand final

The Malaga Carnival 2027 grand final will take place at Teatro Cervantes on Friday, 29 January.

This final night will determine the winners in each category. The city’s street celebrations will officially begin the following day.

Performance times, ticket prices and ticket-release dates have not yet been announced.

Street celebrations begin on 30 January

Malaga Carnival will take over the city’s streets from Saturday, 30 January to Sunday, 7 February 2027.

The historic centre will host the main programme during this period. Although the final schedule has not yet been released, Malaga Carnival traditionally includes:

• The official opening speech.
• Murga and comparsa performances.
• Selection of the Carnival God Momo.
• Drag Queen Gala.
• Carnival parade.
• Children’s entertainment.
• Fancy-dress competitions.
• Battle of the Flowers.
• Performances in city-centre squares and streets.
• Burial of the Anchovy closing celebration.

Plaza de la Constitución, Calle Larios and other central locations are expected to host a large part of the programme.

Most street activities are normally free, while tickets are required for the COAC sessions held inside the theatres.

Félix Godoy named 2027 Carnival herald

Malaga-born Félix Godoy has been selected to deliver the official opening speech for Malaga Carnival 2027.

His appearance will be one of the central moments of the street programme, although its exact date and time will be confirmed when the final schedule is released.

Meanwhile, Noa Pérez and Hugo Martín will represent the younger participants as the children’s Carnival heralds.

Official poster designed by Curri Romero

The official image for Malaga Carnival 2027 has been created by local artist Francisco Romero Reina, better known as Curri Romero.

The poster will provide the principal visual identity for the upcoming edition and will appear throughout the event programme, public spaces and promotional material.

Its presentation marked the beginning of preparations for a Carnival whose main events will be concentrated between the second half of January and the first week of February.

Registration for the COAC competition

Groups wishing to enter the Official Carnival Singing Groups Competition can register between 2 and 23 November 2026.

Once registration closes, the draw determining the order of performances will take place at La Caja Blanca on 13 December.

The result of this draw will allocate the groups to the different preliminary sessions.

Registration for entertainment groups, God Momo and Drag Queen

The preparatory calendar also includes several additional registration periods:

• Street entertainment groups: 23 November to 7 December.
• God Momo and Carnival Drag Queen: 7 to 21 December.

Those selected will participate in the main events held in central Malaga during the street Carnival.

Carnival events in Malaga’s districts

The programme will not be limited to the historic centre. The Carnival in Your District initiative will bring performances and Carnival entertainment to several Malaga neighbourhoods.

The first announced dates are:

• El Perchel: 23 January.
• Palma-Palmilla: 6 February.
• El Palo: 14 February.

The final event will take place one week after the main city-centre programme has ended.

Specific locations and starting times will be announced through each district’s programme.

Getting to Malaga Carnival

Public transport is likely to be the most convenient option for attending events in the historic centre.

Malaga Centro-Alameda railway station, the Atarazanas and Guadalmedina Metro stations and numerous EMT bus services all provide access within walking distance of the main locations.

Road closures and traffic restrictions may be introduced during the parade and other popular events. Travelling directly into the centre by car is therefore not recommended.