The May Crosses celebration in Marbella will feature 25 venues and a program of complementary activities.

The Marbella City Council, through the Citizen Participation delegation, has presented the programming for the May Crosses 2026, which will feature a total of 25 locations distributed throughout the municipality and will continue until May 18. Concurrently, a competition will take place featuring 22 entries competing in four categories: neighborhood entities, active participation centers, brotherhoods and fraternities, and associations. The jury will consist of individuals linked to the fields of decoration, traditions, and the associative network, and the results will be announced at the end of May, after the deliberation period.

Councilor Enrique Rodríguez has valued that "this initiative is much more than a festivity; it is a reflection of the identity of our neighborhoods," while highlighting the involvement of neighborhood associations, parent-teacher associations, fraternities, and active participation centers, whose work "helps keep this tradition alive year after year." The councilor noted that the program includes not only the display of the crosses but also complementary activities organized by various groups, and mentioned that 5,000 brochures will be distributed, available at tourist information points, mayor's offices, municipal delegations, and other facilities. Additionally, all detailed activities with locations and schedules can be consulted on the municipal website www.marbella.es.

Meanwhile, Gregorio Sánchez, representative of the Active Participation Center (CPA) San Pedro Alcántara I, winner of the 2025 edition contest, emphasized the collective and neighborhood nature of this tradition and recalled that "behind each cross there is significant artisanal and teamwork." "Being part of this initiative is already a satisfaction for the groups, regardless of the contest results," he stated.

Participants

A total of 22 crosses will compete in four categories. In the neighborhood entities category, participants include the Vázquez Clavel Neighborhood Association, Las Albarizas, Fernando de los Ríos, El Cruce, Plaza de Toros, Calvario Huerta Belón, and El Mirador de la Torrecilla. The citizen participation and associations category will include ASPANDEM, the Young Disabled Association Values, the Multiple Sclerosis Association Marbella-San Pedro Nuevo Amanecer, the San Bernabé Cultural Association – Housewives, and the Marvesulae Parent-Teacher Association.

In the Active Participation Centers (CPA) category, participants are Marbella Los Paisajes, Santa Marta, San Pedro 1, Plaza de Toros, Encarna Cantero, Jaime Molina de Prado Miraflores, and Las Chapas. Lastly, in the brotherhoods and fraternities category, the Brotherhood Christ of Love, the Brotherhood La Columna, and the Brotherhood San Pedro de Alcántara have joined. Additionally, three crosses will be part of the route without entering the competition: Nueva Andalucía, the Brotherhood of La Amargura, and the Divina Pastora Parish.