Benidorm celebrates this Thursday its great day in honour of Sant Jaume, the city's patron saint

As every 25th of July, Benidorm will once again take to the streets tomorrow to celebrate the big day in honour of Sant Jaume Apòstol, the city's patron saint, with a full programme of events organised by the Comissió de Festes Majors Patronals, in collaboration with the Department of Festivals. The councillor for the department, Mariló Cebreros, has emphasised that “one more year, we are going to experience the day as the big day that it is for our municipality”, after which she has invited the citizens to “participate and enjoy all the events” planned.

The day will start with a parade at 11.30 from Casa del Fester towards Plaza de la Senyoria, next to the church of Sant Jaume and Santa Anna, from where a general ringing of the bells will take place before the launching of an air raid. In addition to the municipal authorities, the queens of the Festes Majors Patronals 2024, Valentina Almodóbar Climent and Laia Zamora Picó, will also participate, along with their courts of honour; members of the Comissió and the Associació de Penyes Verge del Sofratge; representatives of other entities; as well as the public who want to join the celebration.

In the afternoon, at 6:30 p.m. and also from the Casa del Fester, the procession will set off again towards the headquarters of the La Barqueta Cultural and Recreational Association, where the members of the Commission will collect the image of Sant Jaume to carry it in a parade around the old town.

At 7:30 p.m., the entire procession will make a stop at Plaza del Torrejó, where the poster announcing the Festes Majors Patronals, which are held from November 9 to 13, will be unveiled. This image will also be the one that the Commission will use as the cover of the Official Magazine of the 2024 festivities.

Later, at 8:30 p.m., a solemn mass will be held in the church of Sant Jaume and Santa Anna, at the end of which the 2024 Flag Bearer, Vicente Fuster, will place a bow tie on the banner of the Commission and receive the city's badge from the mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez.

After the Eucharist, at Plaça de Sant Jaume, the traditional 'Estampeta' will be lit, in honour of the patron saint, which will give way to the traditional 'ball del Peuet' by the ladies and queens of the Festes Majors Patronals. Finally, the Turís pyrotechnics will set off a fireworks display.

The day dedicated to Sant Jaume will end with a popular street party in the Castelar square, in El Castell, organised by the mayorales of the Comissió de Festes, who will open a bar with food and drink at popular prices to raise funds. The event will be enlivened by a DJ.

The celebrations in Benidorm in honour of the patron saint began last Friday night, with the traditional gala dinner of the Comissió de Festes, which once again took place on the esplanade of the Nautical Club. After tomorrow's festive day, the programme will conclude next Saturday, 3 August, with a commemorative concert that the ACR La Barqueta will dedicate to San Jaime Apóstol, in the church of Sant Jaume and Santa Anna.