Calp’s Moors and Christians festivities are celebrating their 50th anniversary, tracing back to that first parade in 1976 born from the shared dreams of a group of friends. With this golden jubilee on the horizon, the text highlights how the celebration has grown without losing its popular essence, establishing itself as a benchmark for Valencian cultural tourism and offering visitors a unique narrative lived every October by the sea and the Peñón de Ifach.
From those improvised beginnings, the festival quickly evolved into an event with its own identity and structure: the first filaes were founded (Almogàvares and Calpins on the Christian side; Berberiscos and Califach on the Moorish side), and the Santíssim Crist de la Suor Moors and Christians Association was created. Calp shaped a singular model based on a “trilogy” that structures the program: the Landing (Desembarco), the Parliament or Miracle (El Miracle), and the Parade (Desfile), incorporating its own characters and festive symbols that endure today.
The defining element is El Miracle, inspired by the events of 1744, staged in the Plaza Mayor as a collective rite uniting locals and visitors alike. The text also emphasizes its prestige and recognition (such as the 2021 ONCE lottery ticket), the evolution toward a more inclusive festival, and its tourism impact in autumn—bringing high occupancy rates and boosting the local economy—alongside the ongoing goal of achieving the Declaration of National Tourist Interest.