The Maspalomas Carnival’s promise to provide a spectacle with a difference this year was more than met with the crowning of the Drag Queen at a gala which lived up to its billing as one of the prime LGBT+ events in Europe.
As is traditional, the Yumbo Centre in Playa del Inglés again hosted the iconic show, which featured twelve contestants (one was forced to drop out at the last minute) who vied to impress the judges with their outlandish designs and risqué stage performances.
The Gala took as its theme this year Mexican divas renowned for their support for LGBT+ causes and the show provided a wonderful opportunity for local male and female dancers, dozens of whom provided the backing for the contestants’ stage routines, a stipulation included in the rules for the competition.
After several hours of extravagant displays and humour that turned the air blue at times but went down a treat with the 1700-strong audience in the Yumbo, Drag Elektra (Iván Sánchez Pérez) was voted the top drag queen by the jury and returned to the stage to milk the acclaim of the adoring crowd. Elektra is no stranger to success in Gran Canaria drag competitions, having won the prestigious crown at the bigger Las Palmas Carnival last year.
The Drag Gala is the prelude to the Maspalomas International Carnival which this year runs from 18-30 March and has firmly established itself down the years as one of the top events on the European LGBT+ scene, with hotels and apartments in the resort and beyond booked out many months in advance.
