This festival which marks the beginning of Lent, has the peculiarity in Frigiliana of being celebrated a few days after the beginning of Lent

It is a relatively young celebration which previously played no part in the life of Frigiliana, apart from the private fancy dress parties of local businesses. However, over the course of recent years the Carnival celebration has blossomed and is greatly looked forward to by both residents and visitors.

As in other places, this is an irreverent and unruly fiesta with ample opportunities to enjoy oneself. Thus the celebrations in Frigiliana do not differ much from those of other places, save for the fact that the streets through which the procession passes are demanding and uneven. 

Carnival begins with a procession through the streets, beginning in the newer part of Frigiliana and then visiting just about every part of the town to the accompaniment of music, drums, rattles and hundreds of people in fancy dress, snaking its multihued way, eventually to the marquee set up in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas. At which point, the fiesta begins in earnest and continues into “la madrugada” (the small hours). In addition to dancing, prizes are awarded for the best costumes, a decision which gets harder every year as more and more people make their own costumes, either on an individual basis, or as part of a group of friends with a common identity.

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