No other Spanish city celebrates Carnaval with as much spirit, dedication and humour as Cádiz. Here it becomes a 10-day singing, dancing and drinking fancy-dress street party spanning two alcohol-fueled February weekends. The 300-odd officially recognized murgas (costumed group performers) are judged by a panel in the Gran Teatro Falla; tickets are near-impossible to come by, but try your luck.
Costumed groups of up to 45 people, called murgas, tour the city on foot or on floats and tractors, dancing, drinking, singing satirical ditties or performing sketches. The biggest hits are the 12-person chirigotas with their scathing humour, irony and double meanings, often directed at politicians. Most of their famed verbal wit will be lost on all but fluent Spanish speakers. There are also plenty of ilegales – any singing group that fancies taking to the streets.
The heart of Carnaval, where you'll stumble across some of the liveliest scenes, is the working-class Barrio de la Viña, between the Mercado Central de Abastos and Playa de la Caleta, and along Calle Ancha and around Plaza de Topete, where ilegales tend to congregate.
