Festivals
Since the last few years, TORREVIEJA has experimented a relevant increase in the number of activities of a cultural or festive type. The Instituto Municipal de Cultura Joaquín Chapaprieta Torregrosa is an institution whose members work for the creation of new cultural possibilities, such as the organization of exhibitions, literary and sculpture contests, different series of lectures, the local schools of painting, music, dance and theatre, and also the edition of books. This institution together with the local councils of culture and festivals have made possible that the people of Torrevieja count on a continuous sociocultural activity every month of the year.
JANUARY
The year starts with the traditional parade of the Three Kings, followed by diverse theatre performances and the first lights of Carnival.
FEBRUARY
is the month of the masks, the costumes, the joy and the charm that the Carnival brings to TORREVIEJA every year. The Carnival theatre and the bands of street musicians make the difference in Torrevieja´s Carnival. Some twenty groups take part in the Carnival parades through the streets of the town, delighting everyone with their originality and good vibrations.
MARCH AND APRIL
Semana Santa (Easter time) in TORREVIEJA. The streets of the town get crowded during the religious processions celebrated every evening, and the beating of the drums marks the rhythm to the men who carry the religious images on their shoulders during the processions.
And this is also the time of the Book Fair which counts on a larger number of booksellers and visitors every year, with the visit of well known writers who help giving the Fair a greater relevance, together with different exhibitions, concerts, theatre and the national contest of Habaneras with the participation of children and youngsters.
MAY
TORREVIEJA starts the month with the May Fair, one of the main festive events in the Valencia region. It all began as a festival organised by a few friends, but it has made TORREVIEJA into a place where you can enjoy the typical Sevillian songs in the purest style. The port area is converted into a piece of Andalusia with over fifty Sevillian style small houses, lights and bright colours inviting visitors to taste the fine wine, dance and enjoy the nights of Torrevieja.
Easter processions.
JUNE
TORREVIEJA offers the festivals of the Sagrado Corazón, that take place near the church of the same name which is located in the Barrio La Punta.
And also the Hogueras de San Juan -huge sculptures made of a special type of cardboard that represent in an ironic way some generally known personalities as a kind of criticism- that are burnt at night to symbolize the destruction of evil.
JULY
The first of the traditional festivals of the month is to celebrate the Virgen del Carmen, patron saint of fishermen and sailors, with the tasting of large paellas and watersports competitions, ending in a sea parade in which the religious image is carried on a ship along the coast. And again the Eras de la Sal precinct holds one of the most relevant events of TORREVIEJA, the election and presentation of the Queen of the Salt and her dames. She represents the woman of TORREVIEJA and many young girls dream of achieving this distinction.
La fiesta del fuego, la Hogueras de San Juan.
AUGUST
This is the month of the International Contest of Habanera songs and polyphony in TORREVIEJA, when the town becomes a real Babel Tower, crowded with people coming from everywhere in the world attracted by the universal language of music.
At the same time, on the 15th of August the streets of TORREVIEJA look like rivers of people searching for the best spot to watch the Queen of Salt parade. Practically all the towns of the Vega Baja area take part in this parade with the presentation of their most typical products.
SEPTEMBER
The Instituto Municipal de Cultura "Joaquín Chapaprieta" organizes this month the Música en los Barrios. The three most representative choral groups in town take their songs to different spots of TORREVIEJA, where they give the best example of the quality of local choral singing.
The 7th October is the main day of the TORRELAMATA festivities, when the residents organize all kind of activities for people of all ages, games for children, competitions, theatre, bands of street musicians and religious events, finishing with the great procession of the Virgen del Rosario image through the streets of La Mata.
Habaneras International Contest.
The Salt Queen.
NOVEMBER
This is the month of music. TORREVIEJA has two important musical groups, one of them the Unión Musical Torrevejense, which invites local residents and visitors to take part in the events programmed to celebrate the patron saint of musicians, Santa Cecilia, as well as the Sociedad musical "Los Salerosos".
DECEMBER
The festivals to celebrate the patron saint of TORREVIEJA, la Inmaculada Concepción, deserve a very special mention since they are celebrated from different views. At the same time there are popular festivals which include different performances for every age and taste, a tasting of the best paellas, exhibitions, etc...
