A 24-year-old man has been found dead behind the main stage during one of Lanzarote’s biggest annual festivals, prompting police to launch an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

The man was a resident of Arrecife. He was discovered at around 6.30pm yesterday (Sunday), in the garden of a property behind the main festival stage in Mancha Blanca, in the municipality of Tinajo.

The discovery was made while celebrations in honour of Lanzarote’s patron saint were taking place, with large numbers of residents and visitors attending events in the area.

Emergency services were alerted, and a medical ambulance was sent to the area alongside Guardia Civil officers. The area was cordoned off while the authorities dealt with the incident.

The Guardia Civil’s Judicial Police subsequently took charge of the investigation. Officers examined security camera footage from around the festival site in an effort to reconstruct the man's movements and establish what had happened.

Authorities initially confirmed that the body showed no signs of violence. Following their enquiries, investigators concluded that no other person was involved and that the young man had taken his own life.

The discovery happened while a concert was taking place on the main stage in the Plaza de Los Dolores. The performance was stopped while emergency services and police worked nearby.

The concert remained suspended until judicial authorisation was granted for the man's body to be removed. It later resumed, and the remainder of Sunday's scheduled festival events went ahead.

The annual celebrations are among Lanzarote's most important traditional events and attract thousands of people to Mancha Blanca. This year's programme includes religious ceremonies, live music and other events running through to Tuesday, 15th September.

The incident comes almost exactly a year after another death during the same celebrations. On 15th September 2025, an 84-year-old man from Arrecife collapsed in the festival area and died despite attempts by medical teams to resuscitate him, with a heart attack considered the likely cause.