Bells, music and gunpowder announce the beginning of Benidorm Patron Saint Festivities

Benidorm is already celebrating. After a first threat on Friday night, the tourist capital of the Costa Blanca has started its Patronal Major Festivals today in a morning that has been full of emotions and where music, bells, and gunpowder have been responsible for bringing all corners of the municipality the beginning of the big days, which will be celebrated until next Wednesday in honor of the Mare de Déu del Sofratge and Sant Jaume.

The doors of the Church of San Jaime and Santa Ana, where the images of the patrons are kept, have opened at the stroke of noon to sing the joys to the Virgin, the prayer of the Angelus, and the general ringing of the bells. And they have done so at the request of the queens of the 2023 Festivals, Angélica Morenilla Such and Daniela Talavera Ventura, and accompanied by the firing of a loud aerial bombardment, thus announcing the beginning of the big days. With them, in these events, the mayor of the city, Toni Pérez; the mayor of Fiestas, Mariló Cebreros; along with other councilors of the municipal corporation, as well as the regional deputies José Ramón González de Zárate and Mario Villar. On the part of the supporters of the Festivities, the presidents of the Festival Committee and the Penyes Association of 2023, Vicente Solaz and Ramón Cano, have played a prominent role along with the rest of the members of the Commission and members of the Clubs board.

The religious events then gave way to a parade from the Plaza de San Jaime to the Town Hall, where the presentation of the thirteen musical entities that accompanied the festivities and who then starred in the Entrance took place. of Bands. Under a radiant sun, little by little, the Plaza de SS MM los Reyes de España, where the Town Hall is located, has been filled with musicians coming from different parts of the region and the province, belonging to the Colla de Xirimiters of la Marina, the Jalonense Musical Association, the Confrides Aitana Musical Union, the La Primitiva Musical Union of Castell de Castells, the Callosa d'en Sarrià Amics of Music Association, the El Verger Musical Society, La Lira Relleuense Societat Musical, Unión Musical de La Nucía, the Societat Musical la Lira de l'Alfàs del Pi, Unión Musical de Polop de la Marina, Societat Musical La Nova de Benidorm, Societat Musical L'Illa de Benidorm and, finally, Benidorm Unión Musical.

All of them have performed different 'pasodobles' at their entrance to the square and have received a bowtie on their flags and banners from the queens of 2023, in commemoration of their participation in this event. Next, and when everything was ready, the moment most anticipated by both the musicians themselves and the revelers, the authorities, and the several hundred people gathered in the square arrived: the Interpretation of the pasodoble 'Fiesta en Benidorm', directed by the composer of the work, maestro Rafael Doménech Pardo, whom the public accompanied with dancing, clapping and a great final ovation after the last chords were played.

The Festes Majors Patronals continue during the rest of the day this Saturday with numerous events of great interest. Not in vain, at 5 p.m., the central event that gives meaning to these great days will take place, the Staging of the Finding of the Virgin of Suffrage, declared a Festival of Tourist Interest in the Valencian Community and which represents every year since 1971 the La Barqueta Cultural and Recreational Association on the sand of Poniente beach. This year, the big novelty is the installation of four giant screens to allow more audiences to witness the event live, from the vicinity of Elche Park.

After the Staging of the Finding, around 6:30 p.m., the Pilgrimage is scheduled to begin will take the revelers to the Plaza de San Jaime, at the doors of the church, where the Offering of flowers to the patron saint will take place. In this same event, the queens will recite the traditional verse to the Virgin and dedicate a few words to Benidorm, respectively, before giving way to the Official Proclamation, which this year is given by Magdalena Simarro Cantos. After her, the president of the Commission, Vicente Solaz, will speak, while the mayor Toni Pérez will be in charge of closing the event before the fireworks are fired.

Concerts, bands, and a lot of atmosphere in the clubs will take place during the rest of the day, to give way to Sunday, the big day of the Festivities dedicated to the Mare de Déu del Sofratge.