The Moors and Christians Festivities of Calp have been declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest, a distinction that represents a historic milestone for our celebrations and for the entire municipality of Calp.
The Ministry of Industry and Tourism, through the Secretary of State for Tourism, officially announced the recognition on 9 September 2026, highlighting the unique historical, cultural and festive importance of celebrations that are deeply rooted in the identity of our town.
Held every October around the feast day of the Santíssim Crist de la Suor, patron saint of Calp and Perpetual Honorary Mayor since 1949, our festivities bring together history, tradition, music, gunpowder, theatre and devotion.
Among the events that contribute most to the unique character of the celebrations are El Miracle, a popular theatrical performance recreating the defence of the town against the pirate attack of 1744; the Landing, which stages the arrival of the attackers on the coast of Arenal-Bol; and the spectacular Moors and Christians Parades, in which the different filaes, together with the captains and standard-bearers, fill the streets of Calp with music, colour and emotion.
The declaration also recognises the deep connection between our festivities and the history of Calp. The pirate attack suffered by the town in 1744 has, over the years, become an essential part of the festive narrative and of the collective memory of our municipality.
Since the establishment of their modern organisational structure in 1977, the Moors and Christians Festivities have been held continuously, growing and becoming firmly established as one of Calp’s most representative cultural and festive traditions.
The Secretary of State for Tourism, Rosario Sánchez, has highlighted the ability of our festivities to transform the history of a town into cultural heritage, as well as the distinctive identity created by the combination of tradition, music, theatre and gunpowder.
With this recognition, the Moors and Christians Festivities of Calp become the 26th Festival of National Tourist Interest in the Valencian Community and the 168th in Spain.
This distinction belongs to all those people who, generation after generation, have worked to keep our festivities alive: festers, filaes, festive office-holders, musicians, collaborators, organisations, institutions and everyone who has contributed, through their effort, enthusiasm and dedication, to the growth of the Moors and Christians celebrations of Calp.
Today, our history, our tradition and our festivities receive one of the most important recognitions at national level.
Calp is now home to a Festival of National Tourist Interest. A recognition of our past, our present and, above all, the future of our Moors and Christians festivities.