Like all years, Cádiz dresses up for Carnival as soon as the year begins. Although for many this festival is nothing more than a long weekend in which one is almost forced to dress up, for the people of Cádiz it is much more. And it also lasts much longer. More than a month before the official date of the Carnival, the Official Competition of Carnival Groups begins (COAC), which is celebrated every year in the Gran Teatro Fallawhere chirigotas, troupes, choirs and quartets meet.

He Carnival contest begins on Tuesday, January 9, with the first phase of the contest, the preliminaries. Between six and eight groups participate in each of these sessions, with performances that last around half an hour. The preliminaries of the Cádiz Carnival extend until January 25, although in three days, the preliminary phase of the adult COACs also coincides with the semifinals of the children’s contest.

COAC 2024 | Who is performing today, Tuesday, January 9

  • Chorus: ‘The surrender of the rascals‘ (Huelva Choir)
  • Compare: ‘catch them‘ (Huelva Comparsa)
  • Chirigota: ‘We won’t even feel the hunger (Selu García Cossío)
  • Compare: ‘Momo’s paradise‘(Comparsa of Algeciras)
  • Chirigota: ‘Cai’s Grinch‘ (Juan Manuel Braza Benítez, ‘the Sheriff’, Juan Pérez and Rober Gómez)
  • Compare: ‘The 3×4 is back‘ (Faly Pastrana and Marcos Pastrana)

What time do the COAC 2024 performances start?

Every year, tickets to attend the COAC preliminary sessions sell out in a matter of hours. Even without yet having a calendar or an official list of participants. But what we do have is the useful information about the contest: The COAC always takes place at the Gran Teatro Falla in Cádiz, in long days that start at 8:00 p.m. Each session lasts as long as it takes to perform each performance, which lasts about half an hour, with breaks between performances.