Culture
The long road to the Drag Queen’s coronation
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria is a lively, busy, noisy and cheerful city. It stands in the middle of the ocean, practically surrounded by sea. Many visitors have never even imagined an island in the ocean like this and they literally can’t believe their eyes. This is the capital of Gran Canaria, which welcomes more than three million tourists every year flocking to the good climate. It is also the European capital of the Drag Queen movement.
Drag Queens represent the crazy, party side to Carnival. They are a synonym for transformation. We could be talking about a dull accountant who turns into a crazy character for a few days: the Drag Queen. Accountant by day, he balances books, Drag Queen by night, he lets it all hang out, particularly at Carnival time. For these few days his Drag Queen side quite literally swallows up the rest.
It is possible that other cities in Europe are currently holding their annual homemade jam competition. Each to their own… but can you really compare it with the sensation of towering over the world on a pair of platform heels, on the stage in Santa Catalina park?
Possibly not, because the path to holding the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Drag Queen sceptre in your hands is so long and so tough that you have to be made of strong stuff to reign over the biggest night of Carnival. Being a Drag Queen is not for the faint hearted.
If you are reading this and it is not January or February, you'll have to wait to come and see it. It’s a small privilege to be in the audience. It’s just one night only, one night a year that you can come and see it...
Drag Queen Competition
Date: 12th February 2010
See the Carnival schedule for Las Palmas de Gran Canaria [PDF]
For further information on the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival, visit www.lpacarnaval.com
Legal warning