Peníscola Festivities Programme 2026
Monday 7 September to Thursday 17 September, 11 days. All 137 events of the official programme, with their times and venues.
This is the town council's own English programme, not our translation of the Spanish one. Peníscola Town Council published the 2026 festivities programme in two documents: a bilingual Spanish and Valencian edition and an English brochure. Every event, time and venue below comes from the English brochure, downloaded on 26 August 2026 and read without any manual transcription. It is worth knowing that the English brochure is the shorter of the two — 137 entries against 139 — because it groups some events into a single paragraph. Nothing has been filled in with a translation of our own.
What is celebrated, and why the town fills up
Peníscola holds its patron saint festivities in honour of the Virgen de Ermitana, whose shrine stands at the top of the old town beside the castle of Pope Benedict XIII. They are declared a Festivity of National Tourist Interest, printed on the cover of the official programme, and the practical consequence is simple: these are the busiest days of September in the town.
The 2026 edition runs from Monday 7 September to Thursday 17 September, 11 days. But the programme starts before it starts: it includes previous days with events from 31 August, adding 21 more entries. Anyone arriving on the 7th assuming that is when things begin will have missed a week of exhibitions, competitions and concerts.
One time is worth writing down twice, because it changed: the festivities open at 12:00, not at 13:00. The 13:00 figure belongs to the 2024 programme.
The 11 days, with the titles the programme gives them
The programme titles each day, and those titles are the best guide to deciding which day to come. They are not our labels: they are printed at the head of each double page.
| Day | Official title | Events | First time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday 7 September | CORONATION OF THE FESTIVAL – QUEEN AND HER COURT OF HONOUR | 8 | 12:00 |
| Tuesday 8 September | NATIVITY OF OUR PATRONESS, – VIRGEN DE ERMITANA | 6 | 10:15 |
| Wednesday 9 September | OUR PATRONESS' DAY | 5 | 11:00 |
| Thursday 10 September | OPENING DAY OF THE BULL FESTIVITIES | 12 | 13:00 |
| Friday 11 September | SARDINE DAY – FIREWORKS DISPLAY | 16 | 11:00 |
| Saturday 12 September | CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT AND ELECTROLATINO PARTY | 16 | 10:00 - 14:00 |
| Sunday 13 September | SENIORS' DAY AND CHILDREN'S DAY | 13 | 10:00 |
| Monday 14 September | No title in the programme | 12 | 11:00 |
| Tuesday 15 September | TOURIST DAY – PA I PORTA A LA FRESCA | 11 | 12:00 |
| Wednesday 16 September | BICYCLE DAY – ORQUESTA PANORAMA | 11 | 11:00 |
| Thursday 17 September | END OF THE FESTIVITIES | 6 | 11:00 - 13:00 |
How to read the after-midnight times, which is where most people get caught. The programme closes each day with the events that have already passed midnight, and leaves them hanging under the day whose night they belong to. That is why 7 September ends at 00:00 and 7 September has the fireworks at 12:00: on the clock, those times fall in the small hours of the next morning. The rule holds across the whole programme — a time beginning 00, 01, 02 or 03 belongs to the night of the day it is written under, not to its morning.
Previous days: the programme starts on 31 August
Monday 31 August
- 13:00Traditional Bell Ringing
- 19:00Presentation of the works for the adaptation of Santa Maria Church into a museum of the Pontifical Treasury, led by Arturo Zaragozá
Tuesday 1 September
- 11:00 - 20:00Free admission to the Acualandia Sports Complex swimming pools for all children under the age of 14. Adults must pay the admission fee or present an invitation
- 18:00Opening of the painting exhibition “Peñíscola Retirees’ Painting Workshop.” Open to the public until September 20, from 18:00 to 21:00
- 19:00Opening of the photographic exhibition on Peníscola during the first half of the 20th Century named “Peñíscola durante la primera mitad del siglo XX”
- 22:00First Day of the Novena in Honor of Our Patroness, Virgen de Ermitana
Wednesday 2 September
- 22:00Second Day of the Novena in Honor of Our Patroness, Virgen de Ermitana
Thursday 3 September
- 17:00 - 19:30Paddle surf Open Day. Tour Around Peníscola Castle
- 22:00Third Day of the Novena in Honor of Our Patroness, Virgen de Ermitana
Friday 4 September
- 20:00Juan Caballero 5tet
- 22:00Fourth Day of the Novena in Honor of Our Patroness, Virgen de Ermitana
- 22:30Guillem Cotanda 4tet
Saturday 5 September
- 09:00 - 13:00Kids Fishing Competition and Prize-Giving Ceremony
- 18:004-a-Side Futsal Tournament, teams of up to six players
- 20:00Xavi Maldonado y Roque García 5tet
- 22:00Fifth Day of the Novena in Honor of Our Patroness, Virgen de Ermitana
- 22:30Latinswing Joan Benavent
Sunday 6 September
- 08:00 - 13:00Senior Fishing Competition
- 19:00 and 20:30(two sessions) – Lindy Hop Workshop
- 19:30 and 21:00(two sessions) – Paul Evans & his Swing Cadets
- 22:00Sixth Day of the Novena in Honor of Our Patroness, Virgen de Ermitana
Day by day, 7 September to 17 September
Where the programme says "immediately afterwards" or "following the event", it is because the event follows the previous one and has no time of its own. That is kept as it stands rather than invented.
Monday 7 SeptemberCORONATION OF THE FESTIVAL – QUEEN AND HER COURT OF HONOUR
- 12:00Official start of the town festivities. bell ringing and launch of fireworks marking the opening of the festivities
- Following the eventFarewell to the 2025 Festival Queen and her Court of Honour, and Welcome to the 2026 Festival Queen and her Court of Honour. The town's leading local authorities will launch the traditional chupinazos (fireworks), officially marking the beginning of the festivities. The Asociación Musical Papa Luna and Xaranga All i Pebre will fill the streets of the town with festive music
- Following the eventTraditional water fight and complimentary horchata for all participating children, courtesy of the Coordinadora de Peñas
- 19:00Traditional parade by the Asociación Musical Virgen de Ermitana de Peñíscola
- 20:00Seventh Day of the Novena in Honor of Our Patroness, Virgen de Ermitana
- Following the eventSolemn Coronation Ceremony of the Festival Queen and Her Court of Honour. The ceremony will conclude with the Anthem of the Valencian Community, performed by the Coral Polifónica de Peníscola and tenor Manuel Valero, accompanied by the Asociación Musical Virgen de Ermitana de Peníscola. This will be followed by a fireworks display
- Following the eventGrand Gala Ball in honour of our Festival Queen and Her Court of Honour, with music by the orchestra Alaska on Tour
- 00:00Traditional performance of Valencian albades by Grup Cultural de Danses
Tuesday 8 SeptemberNATIVITY OF OUR PATRONESS, – VIRGEN DE ERMITANA
- 10:15Gathering with white carnations to adorn the mantle of Our Lady of Ermitana, followed by a traditional parade to the Santuario de la Virgen de Ermitana
- 11:00Mass celebrated with music by the Coral Polifónica de Peníscola and the traditional flower tribute to our Patroness, Virgen de Ermitana
- Following the eventGrup Cultural de Danses performace, with dansants and llauradores alongside Asociación Musical Virgen de Ermitana, dolçaina (traditional Valencian shawm) and tabal (drum)
- 17:00Last Day of the Novena in Honor of Our Patroness, Virgen de Ermitana, with the traditional procession through the old town streets, in which the people of Peníscola, together with the dansants, llauradores, cavallets, pelegrines and moros i cristians, accompany the virgin. Back at Santuario de la Virgen de Ermitana and in Plaza de la Virgen, the hymn of our Patroness (la Salve) will be sung, followed by the release of doves by Club Colombófilo de Benicarló
- Following the eventSecond performance by Grup Cultural de Danses, with dansants, llauradores, and cavallets, and the last part of the Dansa Batalla de Moros i Cristians play. At the end, a fireworks display Will take place to conclude the event
- 00:45Ball with music by Orquesta Miami Show
Wednesday 9 SeptemberOUR PATRONESS' DAY
- 11:00Mass celebrated with music by the Coral Polifónica de Peníscola
- Following the eventGrup Cultural de Danses performace alongside Asociación Musical Virgen de Ermitana, dolçaina (traditional Valencian shawm) and tabal (drum)
- 17:00Eighth Day of the Novena in Honor of Our Patroness, Virgen de Ermitana, with the traditional procession through the old town streets, in which the people of Peníscola, together with the dansants, llauradores, cavallets, pelegrines and moros i cristians, accompany the virgin
- Following the eventFirst performance by Grup Cultural de Danses, with dansants, llauradores, and cavallets, and the first part of the Dansa Batalla de Moros i Cristians play
- 00:00Ball with music by Orquesta Valhalla
Thursday 10 SeptemberOPENING DAY OF THE BULL FESTIVITIES
- 13:00Opening of the Bonsai Exhibition
- 13:00 and 18:0021:00
- 14:00Opening Bull Festivities Lunch
- 16:30Opening of the Bull Festivities. Opening parade of the Bull Festivities led by the Queen of the Festivities and her Court of Honour, together with the Bull Festivities Committee, accompanied by the Xaranga All i Pebre de Peñíscola. The first heifers will be dedicated exclusively to female participants
- Immediately afterwardsFirst Day of the Livestock Competition. Bulls from Hermanos Bellés ranch and release of heifers on the beach by Bous de La Ribera ranch
- Immediately afterwardsFire Bull from the Bous de La Ribera ranch
- 19:00Performance by La Tremenda
- 22:00Peña en Almíbar Parade
- 00:15Opening Almibero and Fluor Party. Peña en Almíbar
- 00:1510 anys pujant persiana by Peña l’Espardenya [10th Anniversary Party], with DJ Bacardit
- 00:30Ham Throwing Contest
- 02:00Performance by Xaranga All i Pebre de Peñíscola
Friday 11 SeptemberSARDINE DAY – FIREWORKS DISPLAY
- 11:00Popular Sardine Barbecue. Courtesy of Peñíscola Town Council, with the collaboration of the Fishermen’s Guild
- 11:00Bonsai Exhibition
- 12:00Bulls from Bous de La Ribera Ranch
- 12:30 - 15:00Vermut session
- 12:30Children's Water Games. Including the traditional greasy pole challenge and launching inflatables into the water. Winners will receive a ham as a prize
- Immediately afterwardsWater Games with canoes and paddleboards
- 17:00Remember Almibero Afternoon Party
- 17:30Second Day of the Livestock Competition. Bulls from the La Paloma Ranch and release of heifers on the beach by Bous de La Ribera Ranch
- 18:00 - 23:00Afternoon Party with DJ Toño
- 19:00Performance by Paradita Flamenca
- 19:00Official Presentation of the Peñíscola Fútbol Sala First Division Team
- 00:00Focs a la mar [Fireworks display]
- 00:30House Night with different DJs
- 00:30DJ Night
- 00:45Tribute to Mecano
- Immediately afterwardsCover band The Cool
Saturday 12 SeptemberCLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERT AND ELECTROLATINO PARTY
- 10:00 - 14:00Clay Pigeon Shooting Competition
- Immediately afterwardsTrophy Presentation for the Clay Pigeon Shooting Competition
- 12:00Bulls from Hermanos Giménez Claveria Ranch
- 12:0042nd Peñíscola Classical Music Concert Series. Performance of Misa y Plegaria del Pescador, composed by Maestro Vittorio Cacciatori with lyrics by Juan Bautista Simó. Performed by the Coral Polifónica de Peñíscola, conducted by Raquel Bayarri Bayarri, and the Orquesta de Cámara Santa María de Peñíscola, conducted by Salvador García Sorlí
- 12:30 - 15:00Vermut session with DJ Toño
- 17:00Almibero Afternoon Party
- 17:00Viejoven Afternoon Party, featuring 80s and 90s music with DJ Joak Musik
- 17:30Third Day of the Livestock Competition. Bulls from Raúl Izquierdo ranch, followed by the release of heifers on the beach from Bous de La Ribera ranch
- 17:00Presentation of the ACD Peñíscola Teams in All Categories
- Immediately afterwardsFriendly Match against Nàstic Tarragona veterans
- 18:00 - 23:00Tardeo [Afternoon Party]
- 19:00Performance by Ménades de Irta, Peñíscola Tribal Dance Group
- 20:00Tribute to Estopa
- 00:30Electrolatino Party featuring Dasoul, Jose de Rico, Óscar Herrera and Danny Romero
- 02:00Almibera Night
- 02:00Espardenyera Night, featuring DJ @lito.wavv and special surprises
Sunday 13 SeptemberSENIORS' DAY AND CHILDREN'S DAY
- 10:00Traditional Saint Ana Mass
- Immediately afterwardsTribute to Our Seniors. The President of the Association Asociación de Jubilados y Pensionistas will deliver a short speech and introduce the Queen of the Senior Citizens, Rosario Echenique Viera, who will receive the ceremonial sash from the outgoing Queen, Antonia Peña Guzmán. Both will then address those present. Afterwards, Grup Infantil de Danses, directed by Antonio Castell Roca, and the Grup Infantil de Moros i Cristians, directed by Juan Llaudís Ayza, will dedicate a heartfelt performance to our seniors. Courtesy of Horchata y Granizados Jazum SL, all seniors will be offered homemade horchata and fartons
- 12:30 - 15:00Vermut session with DJ Toño
- 14:00Fellowship Lunch for Retired Residents and Pensioners Registered in Peñíscola, attended by the Queen of the Festivities, her Court of Honour, the Queens of the Senior Citizens, local authorities and the Board of Directors. Non-residents of Peníscola may purchase tickets in advance. Restaurant opens at 14:00
- Immediately afterwardsPerformance by Dúo Musical Babilon
- 17:30Fourth Day of the Livestock Competition. Bulls from Alberto Garrido Falcó ranch, followed by the release of heifers on the beach from Bous de La Ribera ranch
- Immediately afterwardsFlaming bull from Alberto Garrido Falcó ranch
- 18:00Children's Grand Bull Run, Bou de Vila [wheelbarrow Bulls for kids] and Children's Fire Bull
- 18:00 - 23:00Tardeo [Afternoon Party]
- 19:00Performance by the group Five
- 22:00Performance by Antología de la Revista
- 00:15April Fair Night
- 01:00Performance by Xaranga All i Pebre de Peñíscola
Monday 14 September
- 11:00Official visit to Unidad de Respiro on the Occasion of Its 10th Anniversary to view the work created by its users
- 12:00Bulls from Fernando Mansilla ranch
- 16:00Cinquillo and Guiñote Card Tournament for the Retired Members and Pensioners of the Asociación Papa Luna
- 16:30First Day of the Local Guiñote Tournament
- 17:00Cubanéame Almibero Afternoon Party
- 17:30Fifth Day of the Livestock Competition. Bulls from Germán Vidal Segarra ranch, followed by the release of heifers on the beach from Bous de La Ribera ranch
- 19:00Performance by the band Generación Z
- 19:00Performance by Centro Cultural Andaluz
- 23:00Flaming bull from Bous de La Ribera ranch
- 00:15White Night [Ibiza vibes night]
- 00:15White Night [Ibiza vibes night]
- 01:00Performance by Xaranga All i Pebre de Peñíscola
Tuesday 15 SeptemberTOURIST DAY – PA I PORTA A LA FRESCA
- 12:00Bulls from Bous de La Ribera ranch
- 12:30The Queen of the Festivities and her Court of Honour will offer tourists and visitors traditional local products: pastissets and Moscatel wine
- 16:30Second Day of the Local Guiñote Tournament
- 17:00Games for kids
- 17:30Table Football Tournament
- Immediately afterwardsAwards ceremony for the Table Football Tournament
- 21:00Pa i Porta a la Fresca [Bring your own food]
- 22:30Open-Air Dance with the band Mónaco Party
- 00:15Fancy Dress Night
- 00:15Circus Night
- 02:00Performance by Xaranga All i Pebre de Peñíscola
Wednesday 16 SeptemberBICYCLE DAY – ORQUESTA PANORAMA
- 11:00Requiem Mass for the Faithful Departed
- 16:30Third Day of the Local Guiñote Tournament followed by the awards ceremony
- 17:00Registration for the Traditional Bicycle Ride and distribution of the official t-shirt. Participants under the age of 16 must wear a helmet; helmet use is also recommended for adults
- Immediately afterwardsBicycle Ride through the streets of the town, finishing at Edificio Sociocultural, where drinks and snacks will be offered to all participants
- 17:00Almibero Afternoon Party
- 18:00Ermitana street experience 2.0 Afternoon Party
- 18:30Beer Pong. Admission price: 6€ per couple
- 19:00 - 20:00Free Hot Chocolate for Everyone
- 23:30Grand Dance with Orquesta Panorama
- 00:15#Nomosjubilem [We’re not retiring]
- 00:15Closing Party Almibero
Thursday 17 SeptemberEND OF THE FESTIVITIES
- 11:00 - 13:00Inclusive Dance
- 17:00Games for kids
- 18:00Performance by the theatre company Els Germans Cartoon
- 20:30Parade of 2026 Queen her Court of Honour, accompanied by the Asociación Musical Virgen de la Ermitana
- Immediately afterwardsPerformance of the Regional Anthem of Valencia by Coral Polifónica de Peñíscola and Asociación Musical Virgen de la Ermitana
- Followed byGrand Fireworks Finale, bringing the 2026 Local Festivities to a close
The festival queen and her court
The 2026 festival queen is Araceli Bayarri Gracia, of the Grupo Cultural de Danses. She is proclaimed on Monday 7 September, right after the novena. Her court of honour is made up of Aina París Rambla, Ana Vallés Roig, Daniela Montserrat Ruiz Reyes, Mayra Yáñez Pérez, Patricia Castell Flequé, and the children's court of Ángela Mantilla, Blanca Escriba, Fernando García Martorell, Fernando Samper Vu, Marta Castell Baila.
The two days that matter most are 8 September — which the programme titles "NATIVITY OF OUR PATRONESS, – VIRGEN DE ERMITANA" — and 9 September, "OUR PATRONESS' DAY". Those are the two days of les danses and of the Battle Dance of Moors and Christians, performed by the Grupo Cultural de Danses. And a practical detail almost nobody expects: the local public holiday is 9 September, not the patron saint's day. Shops, banks and municipal services close on the later date.
Where to stay during the festivities
This is the bottleneck of the week, and it helps to understand why: the festivities are on top of the beach season. The sea in September is still at 26 °C, only 1 degree below the August peak, with 4 degrees less heat in the air. Two criteria that work for any day of these festivities:
- Beachfront on the North Beach. The fireworks are fired over the sea and the old town gets packed during the events. This site tracks 12 beachfront properties with a published rate: see beachfront hotels in Peníscola.
- Your own parking space. The car is a liability that week: the old town is closed to traffic during the events and the car parks at the northern entrance fill early. See parking in Peníscola and hotels with parking.
Published starting rates on this site run from 50 € to 120 € a night, but for these dates you have to ask for a quote: a starting rate is the cheapest week of the year. The Gran Hotel Peñíscola is on the North Beach seafront, with private parking and its own shuttle bus for guests in summer and at Easter.
Frequently asked questions
When are the Peníscola festivities in 2026?
From Monday 7 September to Thursday 17 September 2026, 11 days, according to the town council's official programme. The programme also includes "previous days" with events from 31 August, which no press release mentioned. The festivities open at 12:00 with the general ringing of bells and rockets fired from the Town Hall.
When is the fireworks display?
The official programme calls it "Focs a la mar" — fires on the sea — and places it in the Monday 7 September programme at 12:00, at Town Hall. Read that time carefully: the programme lists after-midnight events under the day the NIGHT belongs to, so 12:00 means the small hours of the following morning. That day is titled "CORONATION OF THE FESTIVAL – QUEEN AND HER COURT OF HONOUR", which is exactly what it announces: a sardine barbecue in the morning and fireworks over the sea at night.
What are "les danses" and the Moors and Christians Battle Dance?
They are what makes these festivities different from any other on this coast, and the most common misunderstanding about them: in Peníscola the Moors and Christians are NOT a parade, they are a DANCE. The programme calls it the Battle Dance of Moors and Christians, splits it into two parts — 8 September and 9 September — and stages both in the same fixed setting, right after the novena. It is performed by the Grupo Cultural de Danses, the same association the 2026 festival queen comes from.
Which day is the public holiday in Peníscola?
Not the day you would expect. The local public holiday is 9 September, not 8 September, the patron saint's day itself. Shops, banks and municipal services close on 9 September. It is set by the regional public holiday resolution published in the DOGV, the official gazette of the Valencian Government.
Is the English programme the same as the Spanish one?
It is the same programme, published by the same town council, but the English brochure is shorter: it yields 137 entries against 139 in the bilingual Spanish and Valencian edition, because it groups some events into a single paragraph. Every time and venue on this page comes from the official English brochure, with no translation of ours in between. If you want the fullest detail, the Spanish programme is linked at the end of the page.
Do I need to book a hotel in advance?
Yes, and it is the most useful advice on this page. These are the busiest days of September in Peníscola, and the sea is still at 26 °C — only 1 degree below the August peak — so festival visitors and beach visitors compete for the same rooms. Published starting rates on this site run from 50 € to 120 € a night, but for these dates you have to ask: a starting rate is the cheapest week of the year, and the festivities are not it.
Sources
Every event, time, venue and organiser on this page comes from the official English festivities programme published by Peníscola Town Council, downloaded on 26 August 2026 and read without manual transcription. The fuller bilingual Spanish and Valencian programme carries 139 entries and is the source of the Spanish version of this page, which also has a page for each day of the festivities. The queen, her court and the poster credits are printed in the same programme. The local public holiday comes from the Valencian Government's public holiday resolution published in the DOGV. Accommodation figures and sea temperatures are derived from this site's own data at build time; the full method is in our methodology (in Spanish). The town council reserves the right to alter the order of events or to cancel any of them if the weather or circumstances make it advisable.