FOGUERES @ 75 – A History: The 2010s

An emotional year for Xàbia, 2024 marks the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the Fogueres de Sant Joan, a fiesta that has become arguably the biggest party of the year. Two books have been published, the first in the year 1999 to celebrate the 50th anniversary and the second in 2024 to bring the history of the fiesta up-to-date. Here we provide the story in English interpreted from translation of the information provided in both books to tell the history of the Fogueres.

---

Spain entered a new decade as football world champions after defeating the Netherlands in the 2010 World Cup Final in Johannesburg, South Africa; two years later, they became European champions after crushing Italy in the Euro 2012 final in Kyiv, Ukraine. In Catalonia, the autonomous government banned bull-fighting, the first region on the Spanish mainland to do so. Over 1.5 million Catalans participated in an independence rally in Barcelona. A few years later, the Catalan Parliament declared independence after more than 92% voted in favour in a referendum. In response, the Spanish government imposed direct rule on the region. Podemos emerged as a socialist political party to shake up the system, following the debut of national conservative party Vox. Juan Carlos I abdicated and was succeeded by his son Felipe VI. And, as the decade ended, an unparalleled global event was waiting in the wings. In Xàbia, the magical Nit dels Focs was declared a Fiesta of Tourist Interest by the Generalitat Valenciana.

🔥 2010 🔥

Quintà 2010 decided to call themselves ” NO M’AGUANTE NI DE PEU”, which roughly translates to “I can’t stand up!” To represent them, they elected Claudia Espasa Sendra and Pedro Prats Junquera as presidents whilst the Youth Commission was led by Juan Bas Pérez and Andrea Gómez Vallés. The main representatives were Maria Buigues Torres as Regina Major, and Maria Sobrino Buigues as Regina Infantil.

2010 was a year that was well-watered by the heavens, and it managed to rain at every important event from Carnaval to the Pregón. Indeed, whilst the Proclamation Quintà 2010 was held on Saturday 12th June without any issues, the Children’s Proclamation, which should have been held the following day, had to be brought forward to the Saturday due to the forecast of rain. The Pregón was held on Monday 14th June and the rest of the programme followed a familiar format.

On Wednesday 23rd June, the Regina Major and mayor Eduardo Monfort inaugurated the Professional Music Conservatory. As for the musical performances, they included Spanish singer Huecco and the Asturian pop-rock band ‘El Sueño de Morfeo’ which would go on to represent Spain in the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden; they would finish second from last.

In 2010, the Foguera Central was entitled “Bogeries”, which roughly translates as “Crazies”, and was dedicated to two controversies, the financial rescue of the underground car-parks, and the registration of the church of San Bartolomé by the Archbishop of Valencia. In addition, sketches by local artist Fernando Sala formed the smaller characters of the monument.

---

🔥 2011 🔥

2011 was a period of change in local politics. As usually happens when there are municipal elections and a change of government, this occured in the midst of celebrating the Fogueres de Sant Joan. Eduardo Monfort bid farewell as mayor of Xàbia on the same day as the Proclamation of the Queens, an act which was presided over by the new mayor, José Chulvi. As for the councillor of Fiestas, Vicent Chorro, who remained in the role until June 7, and Juan Ortolá, who returned to take on the responsibility after a few years, shared the position during the festivities. The president of the Fogueres Commission was Tere Bisquert Vendrell.

The Quinta 2011 ” CONTRA LA CRISI FESTA I VICI” elected Inma Torres Bisquert and Raúl Albi Vallés as presidents, and Ana Bolufer Bisquert as Regina Mayor. The Youth Commission was very large, with 30 members, and they elected Paco Torres Bisquert and Noelia Moreno Molina as presidents. The representative of the children’s court was Noelia Polvoreda Torres.

The Proclamations of the Queens were celebrated on Saturday 11th June and the rest of the events took place as normal. The line-up for ‘Nit del Rock’ included Spanish punk-reggae band ‘La Gossa Sorda’ from Pego and Catalan pop-rock group ‘Lax‘n’Bustos’, while on Tuesday 21st June there were live performances from pop-rock groups ‘Funambulista’ and “Maldita Nerea”, both from Murcia.

It is worth noting the leading role of the Thiviers neighborhood in these festivities. The Parque Reina Sofia hosted a band concert, two communal dinners with live music, a children’s wake and a flamenco night with Fardiquera.

---

🔥 2012 🔥

Those born in 1994, decided, after a lively debate in the old Fogueres HQ on Carrer En Forn, to call themselves “LA FOTRAKÀ”. For a moment, “LA LLANSOLÀ” was the preferred name, but members of the Fogueres Commission made up their minds for them. The Quintà was chaired by Mari Ángeles Caballero Mata and José David Bou, and Carmen Cholbi Mulet and Rubén Bisquert Ferrer, as youth presidents.

After the 2011 elections and the change of government, José Chulvi entered the festive period as mayor for the first time and wrote an introduction in the Fogueres magazine. Juan Ortolá, a long-standing participant of Les Fogueres, was once again leading the Department of Fiestas. With the new local government, a new Fogueres Commission was created that elected Elena López as president and Jaime Escudero as vice president.

It was a year of news. The Nit dels Focs de Fogueres de Sant Joan was declared a Festival of Local Tourist Interest in the Comunidad Valenciana. The DOGV explained that this decision had been made “due to the large number of tourists and visitors from the surrounding area, as well as residents, who participate in the various events that make up the fiesta”. In addition, this year Penya l’Escaldà shared the organization of this magical night with Penya ‘La Bakanal’.

On the day of the proclamation, held on Thursday 14th June, two large photos of the queens, Ángela Cholbi Mulet, Regina Major, and María Buigues de Tapia, Regina Infantil, were displayed on the facade of the Town Hall. It is a tradition that continues to this day. It was also a year for the end of things for it was the last time that there was bull-running on the morning of the Día de les Quintades.

The economic crisis of those years was not reflected in the programme with renowned Spanish singer Melendi filling the Plaza de la Constitución to almost bursting and Cantabrian rock group ‘La Fuga’ headlining the musical bill. In the following years, the budget for free concerts by renowned national artists and groups was significantly reduced.

Finally, this was the year that the Casal Foguerer, located above municipal nursery, was not only used by the quintos. There was also a small farm with a couple of Vietnamese pigs and a hen.

---

🔥 2013 🔥

To prepare the programme for 2013, more imagination and creativity were needed than in recent years due to the severe economic crisis that reduced the fiesta budget from €300,000 the previous year to €200,000.

It was a challenge that the new president of Fogueres, Jaime Escudero, took on with relish. The presidents of the Quinta “A LA FESTA AND A L’EMBOLIC AL PRIMER CRIT” were Belén Chorro Sesé and Sergio Camarasa Herández whilst the Youth Commission was headed by Vicente Ahuir Buigues and Laura Buigues Castilla. Ángela Devesa Bas was elected Regina Major and Olivia Clemente Ferrándiz chosen as Regina Infantil.

The Proclamation of the Queens was on Saturday 8th June with children’s court in the early evening and the Quintà 2013 a few hours later. After six days, the Pregón was celebrated and, right after, the Día de les Quintades. Then the traditional bull-running was held and this year the neighbourhoods of Duanes (the port) and the Arenal were visited again.

The start time of the Nits dels Focs was delayed until 12.30am this year after the original intentions of following the original route through the streets of the historic centre was abandoned due to safety concerns. It would instead follow the normal route around the perimeter of the old town, following the route of the old town walls.

Despite the economic crisis, the major concerts during the festivities were headlined by Catalan rumba-ska group ‘La Pegatina’ whilst the Nit del Rock line-up included cover band “The Mataos” and Murcian rock band “MClan”.

The Foguera Central, with the slogan “Escac I Mat” (“Chess and Checkmate”) was designed to avoiding copying the “faller” model and move closer to the Alicante foguera monuments.

Ultimately, despite the economic difficulties, the people of Xàbia managed to celebrate some aspects of the fiesta with an intensity of previous years.

---

🔥 2014 🔥

The 2014 Quintà began its year with an incident that gave it its name: “QUIN CALVARI”. A few months before the festivities began, the young people of the group were reported for meeting up for a botellón – essentially drinking as a group in public – in the area of the blue-domed chapel of Calvario. However, despite this, the festivities of the Fogueres 2014 were enjoyed without problems.

Jordi Pons Diego and Tatiana Caballero Sánchez were the presidents of the Quinta, while Mar Bisquert Bover was elected Regina Major. The Youth Commission was chaired by Kylie Barnes and George Walker Wesbey and the boys and girls of the Children’s Court of Honor were represented by Claudia Sánchez Tachó.

The two Proclamations of the Queens took place on Saturday 7th June, the children’s in the early evening and the Quintà 2014 a couple of hours later. This emotional evening ended with the live music from the party band ‘La Mundial’. The programme, which included an extra day of festivities, began on Friday 13th June with the Pregón in the church square.

A special event this year was the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Centre Artístic Musical de Xàbia. For this reason, on Sunday 15 June a parade was held through the historic centre led by the local band accompanied by bands from towns across the Marina Alta.

The message of the Foguera Central was very special. It featured the Cap de Sant Antoni lighthouse surrounded by fire and a sign that said: “XÀBIA DIU NO” (“Xàbia says no”), referring to the proposal of the oil company Cairn Energy to carry out oil prospecting off the Valencian coast.

The concerts featured ska-punk group ‘La Raíz’ and local band ‘Toxic’ on Nit del Rock on Friday 20th June and Canarian pop-rock group ‘Efecto Pasillo’ the following evening, the Día de les Penyes.

On Sunday 22nd June, in addition to celebrating Seniors’ Day, the programme marked the visit of the ‘Amics de Thiviers’ from France with a party organized in Plaza de la Constitución. The Flower Offering was not held its usual day because of the Corpus Christi procession. So Monday 23rd June was a more complete day than usual, with the Offering of Figs and Grapes (“Raíms i Bacores”), the Flower Offering, and the Nit dels Focs de Sant Joan.

---

🔥 2015 🔥

The fiestas kicked off with unusual programming since the Proclamations of the Queens and the Pregón took place on the same weekend rather than there being several days gap between the two events.

On the evening of Saturday 13th June, the two proclamation ceremonies took place. The first featured the younger participants, with Ainhoa Buigues Puig crowned as Regina Infantil and Manuela Font Mahaffey and Javier Gacilá Fornes heading up the Youth Commission. Later on the same evening, it was the turn of the Quintà 2015 “A GRAPATS”, led by its presidents Sauro Cholbi Llidó and Carme Català Caturla, before Lúcia Català Bolufer was crowned as Regina Major. The night was concluded with live music from “Revolver” and a disco.

The following day, the Pregón was celebrated at midday in the church square, accompanied by a ringing of the church bells, after which there was barley juice and snacks for all. The bull-running began in the early evening; this would be the last fiesta that featured the bou embolat (when torches are set alight on special cradles attached to the animal’s horns) and bou encaixonats (when the animals are released from small travelling boxes directly into the arena).

On Tuesday 17th June, the Department of Youth organised ‘Bogamarí Rock’, a night of music in the Placeta de Convent featuring local bands ‘Donant la Nota’, ‘The Kingsbee’, ‘Immensus’ and ‘Tremp’.

The events came thick and fast during the final few days of the 2015 festivities. The Día de les Quintades took place on Saturday 20th June; the Día de les Penyes the following day along with the Senior’s Day and the Serenading of the Queens. On Monday 22nd June, there were two processions, the first during the morning to visit the decorated streets whilst the second took place in the evening and visited the various sectors of the town. On Tuesday 23rd June, the two offerings took place – the Figs & Grapes and Flowers – before the traditional Nit dels Focs de Sant Joan.

The final day – Wednesday 24th June – saw a couple of changes. This year the Quintà met at the Foguera Central in the Plaza de la Constitución and paraded to the church for the mass dedicated to Sant Joan. The custom of collecting the ladies took place later in the day, before the start of the float parade.

The 2015 edition was the last for Juan Ortolà as the councillor responsible for Fiestas and for Jaime Escudero as president of the Fogueres Commission.

---

🔥 2016 🔥

The preparations for the 2016 edition started with a change of fiesta councillor and president of the Fogueres Commission, with Antoni Miragall and Mavi Pérez respectively taking on the roles.

Quintà 2016 named itself “SENSE TRELLAT NI FORELLAT” and chose Maria Piles and José Luis Miralles as its presidents and Mar Asenjo Cardona as Regina Major. The Youth Commission was represented by Adrián Vallés and Nara Rodriguez whilst Itziar Bertomeu Crauñes was chosen as Regina Infantil. This year there were around 140 young boys and girls who formed the Children’s Court and therefore there were more activities for them in the programme, including a Children’s Day on Sunday 19th June.

One of the more notable points of 2016 was the recovery of the most significant traditional events that had changed during 2015. The time of the Pregón on Tuesday 14th June returned to its evening slot and there was a special stage erected in front of the town hall building from which the Queens and representatives would announce the start of the festivities. The Flower Offering returned to June 22nd and the collection of the ladies returned to pre-mass on June 24th. In addition, the location of the mascletà also changed, returning to the Plaza de la Constitución for the first time in a decade.

The programme featured the first “Bakanal Pong” tournament organised by Penya La Bakanal, live music from Catalan ska-punk group ‘La Pegatina’, Catalan pop-folk group ‘Els Catarres’ and Jalón-based ska-reggae band ‘Aspencat’, the battle of the fiesta bands, and a cabaret show called “Dancing Las Vegas”.

The Foguera Central was created in the style of the Alicante fogueras rather than those of Valencia’s fallas and the Fogueres magazine stated quite clearly that “in Xàbia we have Fogueras, therefore install a Foguera!” The monument featured a clock with the events of each month in the municipality, and around it, the traditional digs at local issues, such as the banning of the bou embolat the previous year, decreed by mayor José Chulvi, the fight against illegal fishing and the change of the paving around the church square.

---

🔥 2017 🔥

The Quintà 2017 called itself “L’ESCAMPÀ” and chose Francesc Tent Cholbi and Paula Vallés Moya as its presidents. Belén Fliquete Pérez was elected as Regina Major whilst Esther Devesa Martínez was chosen as Regina Infantil. The Youth Commission was led by Adriana Fernández Mata and Luís Font Mahaffey. At the top, José Gomez took over as president of the Fogueres Commission, a group of 19 people which featured many new faces.

The two proclamations were celebrated on different days over the same weekend. On Saturday 10th June it was Quintà 2017 which took centre stage whilst the Children’s Court and Youth Commission were a little earlier on the following evening.

The programme followed a familiar format, kicking off officially on Wednesday 14th June with the Pregón and included acts such as the bull-running, a concert highlighting the best pop music of the 80s, a cabaret show called ‘The Show’, a memorable night of rock featuring local band ‘Pinka’, Catalan rock band ‘Sopa de Cabra’ and the Madrid-based cumbia-punk collective ‘Tremenda Jauria, the Día de les Quintades during which the traditional parade changed to a midday slot, a Birratlon featuring a run around the historic centre whilst downing beers at selected points, a second battle of the fiesta bands and a children’s musical.

The Nit dels Focs de Sant Joan was organised by the Fogueres Commission with the collaboration of Quintà 1992 “Dalta La Parra” which was celebrating its 25th anniversary.

The final evening is best remembered for the fact that the person tasked with playing the Fogueres anthem forgot to do so during the burning of the Foguera Central!

---

🔥 2018 🔥

The young people born in 2000 would form Quintà 2018 “L’ESCLAFIT, FESTA I ENFIT” and they would choose Itziar Espasa Lillo and Rubén Bisquet Ferrer as their presidents whilst Andrea López Lillo and Marc Gavilá Fornés would lead the Youth Commission. The Fogueres Commission was formed of just 14 people and they decided not to elect a president.

Once again, the proclamations were scheduled to take place over two days on the same weekend. However, on Saturday 9th June, just as the young men and women gathered in the church square ready for the procession to the Plaza de la Constitución, it started raining and continued to do so for long enough to force a cancellation and the formalities were re-arranged for the following day after the children’s ceremony.

So, on Sunday 10th June, Gisela Fernández Silva was crowned as Regina Infantil and Marta Arnal Forné as Regina Major. This year, the queen didn’t walk through the audience to the stage but appeared on the balcony of a marvellous set that recreated the most stately house in the historic centre, that of Casa Bolufer.

The Pregón took place on Thursday 14th June in the church square, the queens and representatives once again taking to a special stage in front of the town hall to make the most anticipated statement that the festivities could begin.

This year, the bull-running had no late evening sessions whilst the programme included some new features, such as the inter-penya paella competition moving down to the bull arena in Avenida Palmela, and the Grand Prix, an energetic race through inflatable obstacles inside the actual arena.

The Nit del Rock on Thursday 21st June featured two local groups ‘Arsènic’ and ‘Diàspora’ as well as Colombian ska-punk band ‘Doctor Krápula’ and Catalan musical fusion collective ‘Txarango’.

The Flower Offering was celebrated on Friday 22nd June. The procession started in Thiviers and the participants walked up Avenuda Juan Carlos I and into the historic centre to offer their bouquets to make up the colourful tapestry in the church square.

In preparation for the Nit dels Focs de Sant Joan, the Fogueres Commission had organised a workshop to learn how to make the traditional vidriella crowns and that night, being a Saturday, there was a huge influx of people into the town.

The Foguera Central featured a figure of a xabiera wearing the same design of dress as the Regina Major whilst one of the critical pieces referred to the appearance of a number of Vietnamese pigs in the Saladar zone.

---

🔥 2019 🔥

The 2019 edition of the Fogueres de Sant Joan went very well, although those who represented the fiesta during this year would maintain their position for far longer than twelve months thanks to the global pandemic that was to come the following year and they remained in the roles until June 2022.

The elections took place in October 2018 and the young men and women of Quintà 2019 “XÉ, QUIN DESASTRE” chose Inés Doménach as Regina Major and Maria Mosquera and Israel Aguilar as their presidents. The Children’s Court would be represented by Júlia Badenes as Reina Infantil and the Youth Commission would be led by Marian Fresneda and Moisés Cardona.

Once again, the proclamations took place over two days in the same weekend; the Quintà 2018 took to the stage to be presented to the people on the evening of Saturday 9th June whilst the younger members would do the same the following evening.

This year, the two queens would be the last to receive a crown, a symbol that they would wear at events to which they wore informal clothes rather than the traditional dresses.

The festivities kicked off on the evening of Friday 14th June, the representatives once again taking to the temporary stage erected in the church square. It would be the last year that this stage would be used as the Pregón ceremony would return to the balconies of the town hall. But not quite yet.

The installation of the Foguera Central was carried out very much against the clock after strong winds blew over the main figure and it had to be restored in quick time.

In 2019, the Serenading of the Queens was made by the musicians of Romàntica de Saladar instead of Tuna de Xàbia whilst the Nit del Rock line-up include Valencian hip hop-ska band ‘Zoo’, ‘Reacció’ from Pego and folk-pop group ‘El Diluvi’ from Alcoy. The big concert of the year was performed by Spanish pop-rock group ‘Seguridad Social’ on Saturday 22nd June, returning to Xàbia for the first time since 2004.

After the fiestas, the main representatives would head to Madrid to represent Xàbia at the International Tourism Fair.

---