A mass and an emotional proclamation by Ana Llambrich begin the celebrations of Virgen del Carmen in Benidorm

Yesterday, the Plaza de la Senyoria in Benidorm was the scene of the official start of the festivities in honour of the Virgen del Carmen, one of the most deeply rooted celebrations in Benidorm due to the great connection between the city and the sea. A mass dedicated to the Star of the Seas and an emotional proclamation by Ana Llambrich López were the main events of this first festive day, in addition to the exchange of scapulars between the Honorary Sailor of 2023, Carmen Albarral Pérez, and the Sailor of Honor of 2024, Daniela Blanco Llobet.

The events began with the collection of authorities at the Casa del Fester, from where they went to the Church of San Jaime and Santa Ana for the religious ceremony, in which dozens of neighbours and tourists participated, who filled the temple's capacity.

The municipal delegation was led by the Festival Councilor, Mariló Cebreros, along with other members of the local Corporation; Senator Agustín Almodóbar; and councillor and regional deputy José Ramón González de Zárate. All of them accompanied the president of the Carmen Festival, José Vicente Pérez Pallarés; to the crier of the festivities, Ana Llambrich; and the new senior patron of the Brotherhood, José Miguel Martínez, who has taken over from his uncle José Martínez, along with the queens of the Festes Majors Patronals 2024, Valentina Almodóbar Climent and Laia Zamora Picó; his ladies; and the presidents of the Commission and the Penyes Association, María Dolores Cano and Jaume Cortés.

After finishing the Eucharist, the parish priest of San Jaime and Santa Ana, Juan Antonio González, blessed the scapular of the Sailor of Honor of 2024 and gave way to the exchange of this garment, which symbolizes the embrace of the Virgin of Carmen to its bearer, between her predecessor in office and the new festive representative.

Next, revellers, authorities and the public moved to Plaza de la Senyoria. There, the commission paid a small tribute to some of its collaborators, among them the hitherto senior patron of the Fishermen's Guild, José Martínez, before giving way to the girl Carmen Albarral Pérez, who said goodbye to her year as Sailor of Honor 2023, thanking the Fiestas del Carmen and his family for having allowed him to live what he described as “a dream” and expressing his best wishes for the incoming Sailor, Daniela Blanco Llobet.

Next, it was the turn of the proclamation by Ana Llambrich López, who, before the attentive gaze of everyone present, read an emotional text in which she recalled how her father, 'El Català', was one of the architects of the recovery of this festival after years without being celebrated and how the idea arose that a girl from the commission would recite a verse to the Virgin of Carmen, being herself the first to pronounce it, then dressed as an angel. Likewise, the crier remembered what the most traditional events of this festival were like when she was a child, the festival nights, the Sunday awakenings or how the neighbours and other festive entities devoted themselves to El Carmen, to end by reciting part of that verse and remembering people who are no longer here like Pepita Esperanza Llinares, with whom he learned that poem for the Virgin.

The event was closed by the councillor and regional deputy José Ramón González de Zárate, who congratulated all the people linked to the Carmen festivities and gave them “thank you for keeping our traditions alive.” The councillor highlighted that “holding these festivities is honouring Benidorm and its people” and recalled some examples of the city's connection with the sea. Among them, how many young people went to do 'the military' in the Navy and received permission to come during these holidays or in November to bring out the Virgin; or his great friendship with the current chief skipper, Josemi Martínez, remembering some anecdotes lived with him on board the Francisca y Cayetano. One of these experiences has to do with a storm that arose while both were sailing, which gave rise to González de Zárate to remember how the protection of the Virgin of Carmen and the Mare de Déu del Sofratge has helped many men of the sea to save their lives in difficult moments.

Finally, the second deputy mayor also invited citizens to experience the Carmen festivities and especially recommended that they not miss two of the central events of this celebration: the Flower Offering on Saturday and the Marine Procession that will cross the bay on Sunday.

Program of events

The festivities in honour of the Virgen del Carmen continue until next Sunday. This Wednesday, at 8 p.m., the Commission will receive the city's festive entities in its barracks, installed next to the Port.

On Friday, starting at 2 p.m., a festival will begin on Paseo de Colón, next to the sundial, which will continue throughout the afternoon.

On Saturday, July 20, another festival will be held from 10 in the morning in this same place, with music from DJs. At 7 p.m., from the Paseo de Colón, the procession will depart in a parade to the Plaza de la Senyoria, where the Offering of flowers to the Virgin of Carmen will be celebrated and those who fell at sea will be remembered.

On Sunday, at 2 p.m., a mascletà will be fired on Jaime I Avenue. At 7 p.m., the participants will gather again on Paseo de Colón to go up to the church of San Jaime and Santa Ana for the Virgin, which will be taken in procession to the Port to celebrate the Marine Procession that will cross the bay. At the end of this tour, in Elche Park, the Sailor of Honor will pronounce the verse to the Star of the Seas, before returning her image to the temple and ending the festivities.