Benitatxell is warming up for Santa María Magdalena’s 2024 festivities.

The festival vibe can already be felt at El Poble Nou de Benitatxell. The municipality is getting ready to celebrate its festivities in honour of the patron saint Santa María Magdalena. They will start next Thursday July 18th with the decoration of streets and balconies and the dance exhibition of the schools of Club Multiesport and the Music and Dance School. For the decoration of streets and balconies, if you want to cut the road to make the assembly you can write an email to carrers@elpoblenoudebenitatxell.com.

Before the Presentation of the Festeros 2024 next Sunday July 21st, there will also be several preliminary activities during the weekend. Friday 19th will be the second day of street and balcony decorations and the presentation of the book ‘Els noms dels pobles valencians. Orígens i significats’ (The names of Valencian towns. Origins and meanings) and the award ceremony for the adult category of the V Micro-story Contest “Un poble que escriu i viu” (A town that writes and lives).

Saturday 20th is a brand new day in the programme, with two new events never held before: the ‘Albaes’ evening for the 2024 Festeros and Festeras with the singers Xavi de Bétera and Marisé de Monteolivete and the versador Voro de Paterna, accompanied by Colla La Llebetjà, and the symphonic rock show ‘We will band you’ by Fil Music Prod. and El Poble Nou de Benitatxell’s Music Band.

The presentation of the 2024 ‘La Cornetà’ and the performance of the orchestra La Mónaco Party next Sunday July 21st will uncork an intense programme with orchestras, Valencian pelota games, mascletás, giant paellas, popular dinners, children’s activities, DJ performances and bullfighting festivities, among others.

Monday July 22nd, the day of the patron saint Santa María Magdalena, will be the most formal day with the bells ringing, parades, mass, aerial bombardment and procession. The patron saint’s big day will end with a great vertical fireworks display, which was a great success last year, and later on, the orchestra La Pato will perform.

On Tuesday July 23rd there will be an awakening, parade, mass and the traditional fideuà and allioli contest with prizes of 100, 75 and 50 euros for the best fideuàs, and 50, 30 and 20 euros for the best allioli. In the afternoon, following the suggestions by the Council for Childhood and Adolescence, an activity has been prepared for the young public consisting of a youth disco and a 0’0 cocktail workshop, which will be followed by a foam party. In the evening it will be Retropop orchestra’s turn.

On Wednesday 24th, the day of San Cristóbal, the festivities will continue with an awakening, parade, mass, a giant paella for the whole village and the Holi party in the afternoon. In the evening there will be a parade of floats at 11pm, with prizes of 250, 150 and 100 euros for the most original models. At the end, Tumbalea Revolution disco will be held.

The children will be the stars of the show on Thursday 25th morning with a children’s playground, while the festeros and festeras have a parade and mass. In the afternoon there will be a game of Valencian pelota on Valencia Avenue, and the religious events will take place that same afternoon with the solemn procession in honour of Saint James. In the evening, the musical ‘Operación Homenaje’ to OT will be performed with the participation of Sandra Polop and the festeros and festeras of 2025 will be presented. At 2am there will be a DJ performance.

From Friday July 26th until Wednesday July 31st (except for the Saturday of Quintadas), the bullfighting events and the popular dinners will start with the distribution of ‘agua de València’, coca maría and mistela, watermelon, beer and potatoes or ‘cocas’ for the whole town on different nights. Benavent, La Paloma, Els Coves and La Hermandad will be the invited cattle farms.

One of the most eagerly awaited days will come next Saturday July 27th with the Día de las Quintadas ( Quintadas Day). In the morning there will be an awakening, mechanical bull, inflatables and wipe-out and, from 1:00 pm, the Quintadas will gather on La Pau street. In the afternoon, the orchestra La Fiesta will perform at 6pm at Pesqueres square and, at the end, DJ Rafa Puro. The Correfocs by Colla de Dimonis of Mislata will put the finishing touch to the festivities next Wednesday 31st at midnight.