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The radiant Feria de Benalmadena Pueblo 2023

August 4, 2023

Last modified on: August 22, 2023

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Feria de Benalmadena Pueblo 2023 – Benalmádena Pueblo, the charming Andalusian village in the heart of Benalmadena, comes alive with vibrant colors, music, and joy during its annual fair, the Feria de la Virgen de la Cruz, also known as Feria de Benalmadena Pueblo. This festival, celebrated with fervor and passion, offers a fusion of traditional customs and modern entertainment.

Come immerse yourself in the Feria. To help in the process, I’ve translated the program of the 2023 edition of the Feria to English and added a few maps to help you find the places. 😉 The feria itself will happen from August 11 to 15, but the celebrations start with a pre-feria, from August 4 to 6. In between both, the Pueblo will have sport events going on!

Pre-feria

Below you can find the original program of the Pre-feria. Use the arrows to see all the pages.

August 4^th – Queen and knight ceremony

The pre-feria starts on August 4th with the election of the queen and knight of the Feria, in two modalities: below and above 14 years old. To participate, contestants must enroll in the Delegación de fiestas / festejos y tradiciones populares (Celebrations and popular traditions department) of the Town Hall – phone 952579889. Participants must wear traditional fair costume on the day of the event.

The contest will take place in the Jardines del muro (wall gardens, shown below), on August 4^th, at 20:30. Contestants must arrive before and confirm their participation at least 30 minutes before its start. There will be a show by Rocío Alba and Sótano Sur, and food and beverages being sold at the place.

Winners of the 2023 edition of the contest for Queens and Knights of the Feria de Benalmadena Pueblo, age above 14. Picture from the Ayuntamiento de Benalmadena.

August 5th – Water park

On August 5th there will be a water park for kids (and for free!) in the municipal pool (shown below), part of the Polideportivo (sport’s center) of Benalmadena Pueblo. Slides and other inflatables will be installed in the Municipal Pool of Benalmádena Pueblo. The Town Hall informed that due to the drought decree and to control the capacity of the venue, 4 shifts have been established, as shown on the poster of this event.

Pool at the Polideportivo Municipl Ramon Rico, Benalmadena Pueblo.

August 6^th – Procession of Our Lady of the Cross

A vibrant procession through the picturesque streets of Benalmádena Pueblo. Participants dressed in traditional costumes walk by carriages adorned with flowers and decorations related to the locality. Some carriages play music; as the event proceeds, it all becomes more a walking party celebrating life and the city than a religious ritual.

At least that is what I expect, judging by the Romería de San Juan, that preceded the (other) Feria de Benalmadena, in Arroyo de la Miel. It was much more interesting than I was expecting! In my opinion, a Spanish procession is something worth seeing, regardless of personal religious belief.

Image from a previous procession of the Feria de Benalmadena Pueblo. Photo from Turismo Benalmadena‘s Facebook page.

The event will start with a mass at the Santo Domingo Guzmán Church (shown above) at 9:30, followed by the procession itself departing at 10:30 from the Plaza de España, close to the church. The Plaza de España is the square that has the beautiful statue of La Niña de Benalmádena, postcard of this city (shown below).

The procession is expected to arrive around 15:00 to the Ermita at Parque Rustico Finca Casablanca. Quite a long walk on a hot day. If you go, please make sure you take water, use sunscreen and hat! But once there, enjoy. On arrival, there will be a big free paella for all the participants!

Aproximate route of the Procession of the Feria de Benalmadena Pueblo. It will finish at the Ermita Virgen de La Cruz, marked in red. Image from Google Maps.

Sport events

Above: Program for the sport events of the Feria de Benalmadena Pueblo 2023.

During the week, from Monday, August 7 to Saturday, 12, several football matches will take place in the polideportivo municipal – the same place where the pool is located. Other than football, there will be “carreras de cintas” on bicycle and scooter; also, a greasy pole competition (!) on Saturday, at Calle Real (shown below).

Carrera de cinta is a game where the participants try to catch and unveil a coiled piece of cloth from above their heads, while riding a bicycle. … better if you see it here:

Feria de Benalmadena Pueblo 2023

Program

Below you can find the official program of the Feria de la Virgen de la Cruz. Use the arrows to see all the pages.

August 11

The daytime fair will happen at the Montebello Parking lot (shown above).
From 13:00 to 19:00, show with Los Papitos
From 16:00, show with Callejón
Juan Luis Peralta Avenue will be closed to traffic from 13:00 to 19:30.

In the Recinto Ferial Los Nadales (shown below), there will be:
From 20:00 to 03:00, “mechanical attractions” for kids and teens (I suppose it means a funfair)
At 21:30, the illumination of the fair will be turned on for the first time – its the official start of the nighttime fair activities! A glass of Spanish wine will be offered to the participants.
Also at 21:30, show by the Municipal dance school.

In the same place, there will be several casetas – large tents or pavilions that are set up by local organizations and associations, each offering a unique ambiance and entertainment program. In these casetas you will find:
From 21:30 to 04:00, Salsa and Bachata, DJs and entertainment
From 22:30, show with Nuevo Día Band
From 23:30, show with Merche
From 01:30, show with Nuevo Día Band

August 12

August 12 will be full of attractions:
From 09:00 to 15:00, in the Plaza de Andalucia (shown above) there will be a fast painting contest

And here you can see one of the paintings made during the event. Wow! I’d love to add the name of the talented painter; please let me know if you happen to know! Photo from the Ayuntamiento de Benalmadena on their Facebook page.

At 11:00, in the Plaza de España (the one with the statue of La niña, remember?) there will be a chocolatada, which sounds to me like a distribution of chocolate to drink – Yummm!
At 11:30, in the Calle Rel, once again a carrera de cintas for the kids
At 12:30, at Plaza de Andalucia, greasy pole competition (seems to be simultaneous to the painting contest; inspiring!)

In the Montebello Parking lot,
From 13:00 to 17:00 there will be horse rides
From 13:00 to 19:00 show with Los Papitos
There will be food stalls selling food.
At 15:00, free tasting of rice dishes and a choir presentation.

They call it a “rice dish”!!! How modest – it should be called Majestic Paella! Picture by the Ayuntamiento de Benalmadena

At 16:00 show with Barrieros del Sur
Juan Luis Peralta Avenue will be closed to traffic from 13:00 to 19:30.

In the casetas at the Recinto Ferial,
From 20:00 to 03:00, funfair (I suppose)
From 21:30 to 05:00, Salsa and Bachata, DJs and entertainment
From 21:30, show with Nuevo Día Band
From 00:00, show with Blas Cantó
From 01:30, show with Nuevo Día Band

August 13

At 11:00, in the Jardines del Muro, there will be rifle shooting (hopefully not against the muro – wall)
At 11:00, in the Plaza de España, chocolatada
From 11:00 to 15:00, in Calle Amapola (shown below), kids party

In the Montebello Parking lot,
From 13:00 to 19:00 show with Los Papitos
At 15:00, free tasting of local cabbage dishes
At 16:00, show with Benalrock 80

At 17:30, in the Bar Coral, at Juan Luis peralta Avenue (shown below), there will be a carrera de cintas in motorbikes. If you want to participate, enroll from August 8 to 13 in the Bar Coral.
Juan Luis Peralta Avenue will be closed to traffic from 13:00 to 20:00.

In the casetas at the Recinto Ferial,
From 20:00 to 03:00, funfair
From 21:30 to 05:00, Salsa and Bachata, DJs and entertainment
From 21:30, show with Nuevo Día Band
From 23:00, show with Tenesse y Celtas Cortos
From 02:00, show with Nuevo Día Band

August 14

From 09:00 to 12:00, at the Bar Churros & You, right next to the Bar Coral, Chocolate and churros for everyone!
From 11:00 to 15:00, in Calle Amapola, kids party

In the Montebello Parking lot,
From 13:00 to 19:00 show with Los Papitos
At 15:00, free tasting of local dishes of Huevos fritos con papas a lo pobre (fried eggs with potatos) and trophies delivery
At 16:00, show with Querencia
Juan Luis Peralta Avenue will be closed to traffic from 13:00 to 19:00

At 20:00, in the Jardines del Muro, Catholic Mass and flower offerings to Our Lady of the Cross

In the casetas at the Recinto Ferial,
From 20:00 to 03:00, funfair
From 21:30 to 05:00, Salsa and Bachata, DJs and entertainment
From 21:30, show with Nuevo Día Band
From 00:00, show with José Mercé
From 01:30, show with Nuevo Día Band

August 15

From 08:30, in the streets of Benalmadena Pueblo, there will be Diana Floreada 2023. Diana Floreada is a sort of military-like parade, with a marching band. It is a tradition of Spanish pueblos’ fiestas, in the last day of the event.
At 09:00, the church bells at Santo Domingo Guzmán Church will join the cornets of the Diana Floreada

At 11:00, in the Plaza de España, chocolatada
From 11:00 to 15:00, in Calle Amapola, kids party

In Santo Domingo Guzmán Church,
At 12:00, Catholic Mass
From 12:30 to 18:00, the church will be open for visitation
From 20:00, a procesion will depart from the area of the church and gor around streets of Benalmadena Pueblo.

In the casetas at the Recinto Ferial,
From 20:00 to 03:00, funfair. This is the día del niño (day of the kid), which means the funfair attractions wil be priced less than on the other days of the Feria. Rides will be 2 euros each.
From 22:00 to 05:00, Salsa and Bachata, DJs and entertainment
From 22:00, show with Los Papitos
From 00:00, show with Rasel Y Sergio Contreras
From 03:00, show with Los Papitos

If you are new to the city, take some time to explore the quaint beauty of Benalmádena Pueblo amidst the festivities. Its whitewashed houses, narrow streets, and charming squares share a tranquil ambiance that complements the liveliness of the fair.

From the fairground to the beauty of the village itself, Feria de Benalmádena Pueblo offers an immersive and enchanting experience into the Costa del Sol’s happiness to be alive. Embrace the radiant spirit of the festival, relish the flavors of Andalusia, and explore the picturesque streets and natural wonders of Benalmádena Pueblo. I hope you have a great time.