Bear Carnival Gran Canaria
About This Event
Bear Carnival is a bear week in Maspalomas, in the south of Gran Canaria, built around the Yumbo Centre, the open-air shopping centre where most of the resort's gay bars, clubs and cruising venues are packed together. The organizers say it has been running for about a decade, and for 2026 they expected more than 3,000 bears and admirers.
The format is a dense calendar rather than one big party: 60 to 70 events squeezed into nine to eleven days. Expect terrace meet-ups, pool parties (Wet & Hairy is the official one), cabaret, spa evenings, a catamaran cruise along the coast, island tours, a waterpark day, bowling, wine and cheese tastings, tantra and yoga sessions, singles nights, Bearaoke and the Mister Bear Gran Canaria contest. Many events are free. Tickets for the bigger parties are sold through the festival's online shop and sent by email. Each edition has a theme, and the carnival nights mean costumes, so pack something silly.
The dates move from year to year because the organizers plan around Easter and around Maspalomas's own town carnival. In 2026 they let the two overlap only on the first weekend, when the town's Grand Parade fell on Saturday 21 March, and laid on an alternative event away from the crowds that day. Hotels and apartments within walking distance of the Yumbo fill early for bear week, and so do flights from northern Europe, so book both as soon as dates are out. The nude beach in the Maspalomas dunes is a short taxi ride from the centre.
The 2026 edition ran from 19 to 29 March. Bear Carnival has announced its 2027 edition, themed "men at work", for 8 to 18 April 2027, with more than 60 events over eleven days. The organizers have not published a head count for any past edition, only the 3,000-plus expectation.
Where to stay during Bear Carnival Gran Canaria
via Stay22Our three picks · Maspalomas
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Luxury gay men's apartments in Maspalomas, Gran Canaria with modern accommodations and welcoming atmosphere.
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