On Saturday, March 1st Javea will celebrate the annual Carnival with two parades, fancy dress competitions and musical performances.
Carnival in Javea is a relatively young festival dating from 1987. Its origin is given by the Quintà  of that year, who decided to start this festivity with the help of the Festival Commission of Fogueres de Sant Joan. Its location was the Placeta del Convent and the organisers’ first costume was to wear ‘Chinos’.
For several years now, the epicentre of the festival has been the Plaza de la Constitución, where, after the children’s parade there is a performance. This year, the show will be ‘Magic Tribut, the family musical’.
This parade takes place in the afternoon, around 17:30 p.m., there is a tour of the streets of the historic centre, intended for children and families.
The party will then continue with the Matrix Band orchestra until the start of the adult Carnival parade.
At night, at around 23:30 p.m., the protagonists of the tour are the adults, who show off their best costumes or represent characters that are in fashion at the time with originality.
Just like the children’s parade, there will be a parade through the streets of the historic centre, starting this year from the Placeta del Convent and ending at the Plaza de la Constitución. Afterwards, there will be a disco in the same area.
Costume contest
Imagination and originality reign in many of the costumes that try to surprise the audience and the jury every year.
Normally, the organisation with the collaboration of the merchants’ associations hold a prize contest for the best costumes, awarding three cash prizes to the categories of best individual costume, best couple costume and best group costume taking into account the originality, the preparation, positively valuing the home-made preparation and the work done.
Since 2023, and after seeing how in recent years the level of costumes in the afternoon session has grown – both for children and the groups of parents who accompany them – the festival department has decided to reinforce the prizes for the most original In this children’s carnival there is a prize of 50 euros for the individual modality, 100 euros for the best couple and 150 euros for the best group costume.
In the carnival parade for adults there will also be prizes with the same amounts for the best individual costume -€50-, best couple costume -€100- and best group costume -€150-.
People interested in participating in the contest can register half an hour before the parades.
