The rules for the beauty pageant, published on March 22, state that candidates must be at least 17 years old, meaning they must have been born in 2009. The registration period for the contest concludes on May 22. The election gala will take place on July 9, and participants can be 30 years old until that date, implying they were born in 1996 or 1995.
Additional requirements for aspirants include not having previously held the title of queen of the July Festivals, nor having been queen or maid of honor in the International Carnival of Puerto de la Cruz. Furthermore, it is essential to be a native or resident of Puerto de la Cruz since July 1, 2024.
The jury members will deliberate taking into account the beauty, elegance, naturalness, charm, and suitability of the candidates.
Although the Puerto de la Cruz City Council has not publicly justified the age limit, this is not the first time a similar restriction has been implemented. In 2013, during the term of nationalist Marcos Brito, the maximum age for contestants was set at 24 years.
In contrast, other municipalities on the island, such as Santa Cruz de Tenerife, do not impose an age limit for adult carnival queen candidates, only requiring them to be of legal age. However, age ranges are established for the children's category (from five to 12 years old) and the senior category (over 60 years old). On the other hand, towns like Candelaria and Icod de los Vinos have chosen to eliminate beauty pageants from their festival programs, citing reasons of sexism and superficial valuation of appearance.
