Compiled with the help of artificial intelligence, based on Spanish-language information. Source below the article.
A crown-winning turn in London
The Santa Cruz de Tenerife Carnival went beyond the island’s shores on Monday to carve out a place for itself on one of the world’s great carnival stages. Carla Castro, the 2026 Carnival Queen of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, was one of the star attractions at Notting Hill Carnival, leading the huge parade through the streets of the iconic London neighbourhood.
Dressed in the spectacular costume she wore to win the crown, and accompanied by a samba percussion ensemble, the queen from Santa Cruz brought a dose of Canarian colour, sparkle and rhythm to one of Europe’s great popular celebrations. Thousands of people caught a close-up view of one of Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s most recognisable hallmarks as she passed. Her presence in London also gives a further boost to the carnival’s international profile, which shared the limelight with an event that turns Notting Hill into a vast open-air stage of music, dance and cultural diversity every year.
Officials hail the international showcase
The mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, stressed the importance of taking the festival beyond the city’s borders and underlined that appearing at an event on the scale of Notting Hill Carnival allows the city to show the world the grandeur, creativity and uniqueness of the Santa Cruz Carnival, one of the main hallmarks of Tenerife’s capital.
Festivals councillor Javier Caraballero struck the same note, saying the queen’s presence in London was another step in the festival’s international promotion. “Carnival has the ability to stand out anywhere in the world,” he said.
A warm welcome and a real honour
Nor did the warm reception go unnoticed. Gladis de León, councillor for equality and affective-sexual diversity, who accompanied the queen on the trip, highlighted the curiosity and admiration that the Santa Cruz delegation’s presence sparked among locals and tourists.
The initiative was made possible through collaboration between institutions and private-sector partners. Antonio Rosales, chief executive of Rosti Family Group, the organisation behind the project, praised precisely that joint effort, which has allowed the Santa Cruz Carnival to find a new international stage on which to display its full potential.
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