Yecla fiestas awarded International Tourist Interest status

The December fiestas in Yecla are renowned for the atmosphere, the enthusiasm and the sounds and smells of gunfire!

Although not much was made of it at the time, congratulations are due to the tourism staff at the Town Hall of Yecla and to the town itself following the decision made in late November 2024 to award the annual fiestas “International Tourist Interest” status.

The “Fiestas de la Virgen en honor a la Purísima Concepción” are held every year in December, the main events falling between the 5^th and the 8^th, and have been cancelled on only a handful of occasions since they began in 1642 (due to the Civil War and, more recently, the Covid pandemic). Their stand-out characteristics and events include the opening “Beneplácito”, the processions in which the figure of the Virgin is brought down to the town and then back up to her hilltop sanctuary, the drumming, the deafening firing of arquebuses (ancient firearms) and the fervour with which the locals participate and celebrate.

The main procession is held on December 8, the feast day of the Immaculate Conception and a national holiday in Spain.

There are now 13 fiestas in the Region of Murcia holding the distinction of “International Tourist Interest” status, the others being:

Semana Santa in Cieza

Semana Santa in Jumilla

Semana Santa in Lorca

Semana Santa in Murcia

Semana Santa in Cartagena

The Night of the Drums in Mula

The Fiestas of the Cartagineses y Romanos in Cartagena

The Carnival of Águilas

The Bando de la Huerta in Murcia

The Entierro de la Sardina in Murcia

The Cante de las Minas flamenco festival in La Unión, and

The Fiestas of the Santísima y Vera Cruz in Caravaca.

In total there are 83 such annual events in Spain, and among the 17 regions the only ones with more events in this category are the Comunidad Valenciana and Galicia.

For more local news, events and visiting information go to the home page of Yecla Today.