The mayor invites the people of Benidorm to experience the festivities “in peace and tranquility,” and expresses the wish that “a hundred years from now, there will still be people from Benidorm honoring our patron saint with the same faith.”
Yesterday, Saturday, the “Festes Majors Patronals” (Main Patronal Festivals) of Benidorm experienced one of the most intense and moving afternoons of the entire festive season. The people of Benidorm commemorated the events of mid-March 1740, when the image of their current patron saint—the “Mare de Déu del Sofratge” (Our Lady of the Suffrage)—arrived in the town. The image was found aboard an unmanned, drifting vessel, which was towed to the shore by three Benidorm sailors. “The Theatrical performance of the finding of the Virgin” officially recognized as a “Festival of Tourist Interest” in the Valencian Community—once again drew hundreds of people to the sands of Poniente Beach. The event has been staged annually since 1971 by the “Associació Cultural i Recreativa La Barqueta”. This year, the performance featured an additional highlight: the premiere of the symphonic suite “Arribada d’una Imatge de la Verge a Benidorm” (“Arrival of an Image of the Virgin in Benidorm”), composed by Francisco José Roriva Peretó to provide a musical backdrop and further elevate the significance of the event—a step toward its potential designation as a “Festival of National Tourist Interest.”
Toni Pérez, Mayor of Benidorm and President of the Provincial Council, presided over the official viewing area on the beach, joined by Marián Cano, the Valencian Regional Government’s Minister for Industry, Tourism, Innovation, and Trade, who traveled to Benidorm to show her support for “La Barqueta” during this iconic reenactment. Also in attendance were the 2026 Festival Queens, Laura Ivars Marín and Carmen Guillem Campos; the presidents of the “Comissió de Festes” (Festival Commission) and the “Associació de Penyes” (Association of Festival Clubs), Ramón Cano and Diego Carrasco; as well as the Councilor for Festivals, Mariló Cebreros, and the Councilor for Culture, Jaime Jesús Pérez. The president of La Barqueta and permanent president of the Festival Committee, Francisco Llorens Rosera; the 2026 festival proclaimer, Angélica Such Ronda; and a broad representation from the Municipal Council; as well as Senator Agustín Almodóbar; regional parliamentary deputies José Ramón González de Zárate and Manuel Pérez Fenoll; the regional government’s (Generalitat) Secretary for Social Services, Family, and Childhood, Ignacio Grande; the Director General for Innovation and Educational Inclusion, Xaro Escrig; along with festival organizers (“mayorales”), honorary organizers, standard-bearers, and the general public.
The event also drew a large crowd to Elche Park, where the reenactment could be watched on four giant screens; it was likewise broadcast live on the Benidorm City Council’s YouTube channel, allowing people from anywhere in the world to follow along. Following a fantastic performance—which, thanks to a new musical accompaniment, brought to life the events of nearly three centuries ago with greater emotion than ever before (events originally uncovered by historian Pere Maria Orts i Bosch in documents held at the General Archive of Simancas)—and after the image of the patron saint was rescued from the flames, the entire procession left the sands of Poniente Beach and headed toward Elche Park, the starting point for the pilgrimage (“Romería”) to the Church of San Jaime and Santa Ana.
