The "Calle Abajo" and "Calle Arriba" tunas from Las Tablas officially kicked off the atmosphere of the 2026 Carnival on January 1st, starring in the traditional New Year's "topón". This celebration brought together hundreds of people in the midst of water dousing, music, luxury, and carnival fervor. After noon, the queens of both tunas, accompanied by their followers and musical groups, entered Porras Park, where a crowd was already celebrating the new year in an atmosphere of joy and tradition. Representing "Calle Abajo" was S.R.M. Astrid Carolina Sánchez Brandao, known as the "Platinum Barbie of the Las Tablas Carnival." She led her tuna amidst applause, with music and water dousing setting the rhythm. Days in advance, the "Calle Abajo" tuna had expressed its readiness to welcome 2026 and write a new chapter in its carnival's history. Meanwhile, "Calle Arriba" from Las Tablas was represented by its queen Ana Isabel Carrizo, a model and actress, and the 2026 Carnival Queen, who also paraded with her tuna, reaffirming the enthusiasm and preparation of her side for the upcoming carnival battle. Carnival activities began on December 31st, when both tunas held their traditional processions on their own turf, presenting allegorical floats filled with luxury, creativity, and fantasy, as a prelude to the year's first topón. The water tank trucks provided the distinctive feature of the event, as the crowd chanted the classic "¡Water, water, water!", turning Porras Park into the epicenter of the dousing and the popular celebration that characterizes the Las Tablas carnival. The first topón also generated significant economic movement in the city, as hotels, restaurants, food stalls, street vendors, and local businesses benefited from the arrival of national and foreign tourists who chose Las Tablas to welcome the New Year in a carnival atmosphere. Simultaneously, in the district of Chitré, the carnival queens also held their procession on January 1st, accompanied by dance troupes and followers, joining the traditional New Year's dousing, consolidating the Azuero region as a key point for the start of the carnival festivities.
