No vigente.
Today, Friday 8th June, Mojácar’s eagerly anticipated Moors and Christians Fiesta gets underway, an event that is officially of Touristic Interest in Andalucía and, one which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
Already this morning, the children from Bartolomé Flores School have made their own procession in costume up to the town’s Plaza Nueva. This year, Chloe Cooper and Carlos García-Alix, representing the Moorish Kábila Ali-Olé and the Christian Templarios, respectively, have been chosen as the children's ‘pregoneros’, announcing the start of the Fiesta and encouraging all townspeople and visitors to make the most of this very special weekend.
From midday, the medieval market opens, with stall holders dressed in period outfits, selling crafts and all sorts of other items that should transport everyone back to the Middle Ages. To the sound of the Moors and Christian musical marches, this is a prelude to the official start at 9.30 p.m. where Christians and trabuqueros with their noisy blunderbusses will concentrate at the Centro the de Usos Múltiples, with the Moorish troops gathering at La Fuente. All are preparing for the handing over of the keys of the town, following the staging of the peaceful surrender of Mojácar between the Moorish and Christian Kings.
At 10.30p.m. there is the excited announcement of hostile troops and the groups make their way up the hill from the Fuente, presided over by their respective captains and accompanied by the town band, fireworks and gunfire. By 11.00 p.m. the troops are assembled in the Plaza Nueva for the official Fiesta opening speeches, given by both the adult and children’s ambassadors. This year, Carlos Pérez Castro from the Moorish Kábila Ali-Olé and Christian Templario, Alejandro Montero, have been given these honoured roles. In Mojácar, however, the battle is "without winners or losers", as everyone ‘wins’ at the Moors and Christians Fiesta! After the announcements are made, the various groups open their individual camps where they will keep on partying until dawn.
On Saturday, the trabuqueros with their blunderbusses will be on the beach at El Lance at 4.30 p.m. in front of the Pueblo Indalo, defending the beach from a Moorish raid from the sea. This will be followed by a medieval tournament will be at 6 p.m. when both Moorish and Christian riders try to win the most scarves worn by the ladies of both sides, alongside a fire and dance show. Afterwards, the troops will march along the Promenade from the Ankara Beach Bar to the Red Cross.
The event most people wait for, however, is the stunning Moors and Christians Grand Parade at 6.30 p.m. on Sunday in Mojácar Pueblo, which will bring this 30th Fiesta year to spectacular end.
