The Moors and Christians of Benidorm celebrate their big days from tonight until Sunday

Benidorm Moors and Christians Association begins its celebrations tonight, which will continue until Sunday evening with a multitude of events that festively recreate a key episode in Spanish history. The "Parlamento de la Invasión Mora" (Parliament of the Moorish Invasion) will mark the official start of these festivities, starting at 8:00 p.m. today, at the foot of the castle located in the Plaza de Their Majesties the Kings of Spain. The Councillor for Fiestas, Mariló Cebreros, wished the six members of the Association and the members of both factions a happy holiday season. She especially wished the president of the association, Arturo Mira, and the Moorish queen of 2025, María Lourdes Corrales.

Cebreros recalled that the Moors and Christians of Benidorm "are declared as Festivals of Local Tourist Interest" and highlighted "the splendour, colour, and music that traditionally surround these celebrations and are so popular with those of us who live here and also with those who visit us during these days."

Among the events scheduled for these days, tonight will be the aforementioned "Parliament of the Moorish Invasion," which will begin at 8:00 p.m. at Plaza de SS MM los Reyes de España (the Kings of Spain) with the gathering of the Christian troops at their camp, where the Moorish troops arrive after disembarking. Both sides hold talks amid offerings and medieval games. Failing to reach an amicable agreement, the event concludes with the "Moorish Invasion of the Town of Benidorm," after which a festive dinner will be held with the participation of all the "filaes": Benidarhims, Nazaries, Tuaregs, and Tagarino Muslims for the Moorish side; Crusaders and Knights of the Barony, for the Christian.

Tomorrow, Friday, the day will begin at 10:30 a.m., with a Diana parade departing from Escuelas Street and traveling along Tomás Ortuño, Paseo de la Carretera, Martínez Alejos, and Gambo streets to the Plaza de la Hispanidad, before moving to the Castle in the Town Hall Square. In the afternoon, at 8:00 p.m., the Castle will host the "Christian Embassy and Reconquest" ceremony.

On Saturday, a new Diana parade will be the first of the events, with the same schedule and itinerary as the previous day. At 8:00 p.m., one of the central events of these festivities will take place, the "Gran Entrada Mora y Cristiana," in which the Moorish and Christian troops will parade through the main streets of the city. Specifically, they will depart from the upper part of Tomás Ortuño and travel along Venus, Ruzafa, Martínez Alejos, and Gambo streets to Plaza de la Hispanidad.

On Sunday, it will be read at noon at Plaza de SS MM los Reyes de España "Parlamento de Paz" (Parliament of Peace), a text created by Pere Maria Orts i Bosch that, since 1990, has been the focus of announcing the cessation of hostilities and the peaceful withdrawal of the Muslim side. This will be followed by a floral offering in honour of Saint James the Apostle, patron saint of the Association, and a mass at the parish church of San Jaime y Santa Ana. In the afternoon, starting at 8:00 p.m., the events will culminate with the "Retreta," a parade of floats that will repeat the route of the previous afternoon.

Traffic Cuts 

The Mobility department has announced that traffic will be closed on Saturday and Sunday, October 4th and 5th, starting at 8:00 p.m. on the streets where the "Entrada" and "Retreta" parades will take place. These closures will continue until the end of both events, after which traffic will reopen.