Carnaval

Bid farewell to the "meco" on Carnaval Tuesday

The Entroido or Carnival in Vigo is one of Galicia’s favourite traditions, an event associated with fertility and crop protection rites. It was later converted into a Christian rite to celebrate abundance and to say goodbye to good food and good wine for a while.

In Galicia, there are as many carnivals as towns, and in Vigo it’s celebrated by enthroning the Meco or the Entroido god. During the reign of this permissive God, everything is possible and fun: parades liven up the streets all day, but it’s at night, with the Carnival’s open-air dances, that the festival reaches its peak.

One of the highlights of the Carnival of Vigo is the sarcastic Burial of the Sardine, on Ash Wednesday: once the Meco is dead, it’s buried and a parody of a funeral procession is taken through the centre of Vigo.

Tips and recommendations: 

If you want to experience an authentic popular festival, don’t miss Carnaval Tuesday in Vigo. In Porta do Sol, neighbours, tourists and onlookers, dressed up in costume or otherwise, bid farewell to the entroido and dance to the music of the orchestras.

Try the traditional orellas de Carnival, a typical sweet in Vigo for this time of the year, and the filloas (a type of crêpe).

Photo gallery: 
Turismo de Vigo