Málaga welcomes summer with a triple St. John's Eve

San Juan arrives, the shortest night of the year, which serves to welcome summer and to purify souls, usually with water and fire. The ancestral traditions surrounding this magical evening date back to prehistoric times. But today, these rituals are combined with music, both on the beaches of Malaga and in the inland regions. This time we review a very special edition, since it is celebrated on a Monday, many city councils have chosen to advance or even extend to three evenings the recreational and festive activities linked to June 23. Entire families will also start preparing this Saturday, June 21, a long liturgy that includes dinners by moonlight and those bonfires that, as an exception to the regulations that apply the rest of the year, are allowed on the beaches of the Costa del Sol. Then comes the most complicated part, as officials from the Malaga City Council explain, since last year, on June 24, about 25 tons of waste were removed. Bottles, plastics, and bags of waste are typically the debris that accumulates by the thousands in municipal areas. Most city councils begin cleaning the beaches even before dawn. In the capital, more than 200 personnel begin their complex cleaning task at the crack of dawn. The authorities' intention is to allow bathers to use the beach sections the following day without any incidents. In places like Marbella, the city council recently issued a specific decree establishing the "exceptional conditions" for the use of beaches during the celebration of San Juan's Night. Among the measures specially included is the prohibition of using flying lanterns, a practice that used to be common in this celebration. Let's go to the recreational activities announced by city councils from both the interior and the coastal areas. The Costa del Sol capital announced this Thursday that the burning of the so-called "Júa," with a performance by Electroduendes, will begin this coming Monday at ten-thirty at night. It will take place on La Misericordia beach, near the Primero de Mayo roundabout, next to the Antonio Banderas seafront. At midnight, the fireworks show from the Térmica pier, with more than 200 kilos of pyrotechnic material, will kick off the first nocturnal swim of the summer for thousands of families. One of the municipalities extending San Juan's Night this year is Estepona. The Magical Medieval Market starts this Friday, June 20, and will continue until the early hours of Monday to Tuesday. It will include workshops, falconry, and shows. A great concert will close this event on La Rada beach, featuring artists such as Rasel and Sara, a singer from Las Chuches. Similarly, municipalities in the interior of the province will dress up from this Saturday, with musical and recreational events that will anticipate San Juan's Night. In Parauta, for example, with the Enchanted Forest Party, this town in the Genal Valley will be lit only by the light of 5,000 candles. This will be the way for the "magical beings" that will inhabit the streets of the municipality on June 21 to be seen. The City Council encourages visiting every corner of this town, "overcoming all challenges." It is an activity suitable for all ages and a family audience that will thus bid farewell to spring. In Axarquía, Comares also celebrates this Saturday the welcome to summer with a big party that serves to inaugurate, from nine at night, the season in the municipal pool. There will be music, artistic lighting, and numerous surprises for attendees. Also in the interior, Alhaurín el Grande anticipates the Sunday and Monday sessions with the Perita Fest, which will gather artists such as Miguel Campello or Vicco within the La Monta enclosure. In Cártama, the Sierra de Gibralgalia neighborhood also anticipates the festivities in honor of San Juan, the patron saint of this population center, with a massive pilgrimage. This Saturday, June 21, the citizens will enjoy a "lively day in the area of the Granado stream," as the City Council describes. By Monday, June 23, the celebrations and concerts will extend from Manilva and Casares, at the easternmost end, to Nerja and Torrox, as well as numerous parties in the interior. In the heart of the Axarquía coast, in Torre del Mar, El Copo beach will once again gather thousands of people with the burning of the "júas," performances by Antonio José and DJ Sau, and the distribution of 350 kilos of properly skewered sardines. Without leaving this part of the province, very close, in the town of Mezquitilla in Algarrobo, the City Council will also distribute about 250 kilos of sardines at a large popular barbecue, which in this case will be set to the rhythm of the group Aire Flamenco. In the Serranía de Ronda, Benaoján celebrates San Juan's Night also with a tasting of sardines, the great bonfire of San Juan, and more live music. The Mayordomos of 2025 will coordinate the bar service. In Nerja, the local group Al Alba and the Onda Sonora orchestra will be in charge of enlivening San Juan's Night, before and after the burning of the "Júa" on Burriana beach at midnight. In this case, the City Council has reminded that neither camping nor lighting bonfires on this beach, nor on La Torrecilla or Maro beach, will be allowed. Torrox will once again combine activities in its historic center and the beaches of El Morche, El Peñoncillo, and El Morche. In the main nucleus of the municipality, the music and lighting of torches will begin at nine-thirty at night in the Plaza de la Concordia, while on the El Morche seafront, the large typical bonfire will already be ready next to the Cacola beach bar. The Casares City Council will concentrate its activities on Monday on Ancha beach. They will start with a Holly Colours party at four in the afternoon. And from ten at night, the atmosphere will start to heat up with the orchestra La Rebelión, in charge of closing the activities past twelve-thirty. In Rincón de la Victoria, the evening of June 23 begins at ten at night with the Cali rapper Kebo, accompanied by DJ Wendelsound. El Tajo beach will host the great musical party with live music and more local artists, until two in the morning when this celebration will end. Androale, Rubén Llamas, and Sánchez Jr. will be in charge of entertaining both the younger audience and the rest of the attendees. Even more special will be these festivities in Arroyo de la Miel, since on Monday, June 23, seven days of fair begin, extending until Sunday, June 29. The first day will not lack the various bonfires and the pyrotechnic show at midnight, at Castillo Bil Bil. However, from seven in the evening, the streets adjacent to Parra Street will already begin to come alive, where local academies and groups will perform at the verbena. There will be a large sardine barbecue and face painting for the little ones, as a preamble to the lighting of the artistic lighting, at ten at night. On Tuesday, June 24, the Day Fair will take place in Pueblosol Square with the orchestras Trenzao and Kalima. And after the mass in the parish of the Immaculate, the local patron, Saint John the Baptist, will go out in procession. The star performance of this day will correspond to Las Soles, while Henry Méndez is the artist chosen for the night of Wednesday, June 25. In Alhaurín de la Torre, the celebration in honor of Saint John the Baptist will start after June 24. However, this date is also marked on the calendar as a local holiday. At 12 noon, the traditional floral offering to the local patron will be held in the parish, accompanied by the musical performance of the Trébol de Agua Choir. And from six in the evening, the mass in honor of San Juan will be officiated, with the presence of the Coral Santa Cecilia. Just an hour later, the procession will start, which as every year will gather thousands of people.