The traditional Pilgrimage and Flower Offering will take place on Saturday, starting at 6 pm from Elche Park
Benidorm commemorates this weekend the main events of the 286th anniversary of the Discovery of its patroness saint
Benidorm is commemorating the main events of the 286th anniversary of the discovery of its patron saint, the Virgin of Suffrage, this weekend with numerous festivities organised by the Comissió de Festes Majors Patronals (Commission of Major Patron Saint Festivals), in collaboration with the Benidorm City Council's Department of Festivals. This was announced by the councillor for the department, Mariló Cebreros, who invited the residents of Benidorm and those visiting during these days to "take to the streets and celebrate this historic date, which 286 years ago forever changed the faith and devotion of an entire town."
Among the most prominent events taking place these days, this Saturday, March 14th, will be the large pilgrimage and flower offering to the patron saint. It will depart at 6:00 PM from Elche Park and proceed along Passeig de la Carretera, Plaza de la Creu, Alameda, and Calle Mayor, ending at Plaza de San Jaime, in front of the Church of Sant Jaume i Santa Anna. There, festival participants and members of local social clubs will offer their flowers to the Mare de Déu del Sofratge (Our Lady of Suffrage). During the ceremony, Carmen Guillem Campos, the children's queen of the 2026 Patron Saint Festival, will recite the traditional verse to the patron saint, written this year by Pepa Orozco.
Laura Ivars Marín, the 2026 Festival Queen, will also address the Mare de Déu del Sofratge and the people of Benidorm.
Music will take centre stage on Sunday, the 15th, with two concerts. The first, at 11:00 AM, will be a concert by the Benidorm Musical Union in the Plaza Mayor, part of the ‘Música als Pobles’ series. The second, by the Rondalla de la ACR La Barqueta, will begin at 8:00 PM in the church of Sant Jaume i Santa Anna.
The commemorative events will conclude on March 16, the 286th anniversary of the arrival of the image of the Virgin Mary in Benidorm. On this day, the traditional Alba procession will take place, beginning at 6:00 a.m., half an hour after the doors of the Church of Sant Jaume and Santa Ana open.
During the Alba procession, the townspeople will accompany the Virgin Mary of Suffrage through the streets of the old town, taking her to Levante, Poniente, and Mal Pas beaches. Upon returning to the church, a Thanksgiving Mass will be celebrated at 7:30 a.m., followed by a general ringing of the church bells at noon. In the evening, at 8:00 p.m., a Eucharist in honour of the patron saint will bring the commemorative program to a close.
The Councillor for Fiestas has encouraged citizens to “participate in all the events that have been designed with dedication and enthusiasm to honour our patron saint, demonstrating once again Benidorm's devotion and respect for the Mare de Déu del Sofratge (Our Lady of Suffrage).”
She also reminded everyone that the exhibition of the 23rd Annual School Drawing and Painting Competition, organised each year by La Barqueta Cultural and Recreational Association, can be visited at Casa del Fester until March 16th. The prizes will be awarded this afternoon. Additionally, the exhibition commemorating the 40th anniversary of La Barqueta Cultural and Recreational Association's Rondalla (a traditional Spanish musical group) will be open to the public until March 30th at the association's headquarters on Tomás Ortuño Street.
