Vélez-Málaga Announces Darío Quintana as the Herald and Rafael Jurado as the Poster Artist for the 2026 Carnival

The Vélez Town Hall, along with the Department of Popular Traditions, has announced the individuals who will lead the next edition of the Vélez Carnival, Rafael Jurado and Darío Quintana, creators of the Poster and the Official Proclamation, respectively. The presentation and the event will take place at the Peña Axarquía headquarters on Friday, November 21 at 8:30 PM.

Just a few weeks before the Vélez Christmas, the names that will lead next year's Vélez-Málaga Carnival, which will be held from February 6 to 8, have been revealed. These dates will feature the Contest, Proclamation, and Parade. The presentation of the poster comes three months before the start of the festivities, "a time when the impressive work done by Jurado Lorca will be unveiled, in which I know he has put time, affection, and many revisions to express it in the best way," explained Lourdes Piña, Councilor for Fairs and Festivals.

Piña has indicated that "the next Carnival will be particularly interesting" and emphasized that they want a celebration that matches the stature of the Vélez municipality, although she has not yet detailed any new features of the Carnival for 2026. Meanwhile, Manolo Portillo, representative of the Peña Axarquía, announced that organizations will offer round tables, lectures, or activities related to the event.

The poster's author, Rafael Jurado Lorca

Rafael Jurado Lorca, an 84-year-old native of Vélez, has been connected to his homeland his entire life. As the poster's author, he is a painter with great artistic skills, passionate about pictorial creation, dedicating his time to capturing "photographs" in his paintings. Brother to the remembered Juan Jurado Lorca, an avant-garde spirited artist, both demonstrated their abilities from a very young age, although their professional paths diverged in their adolescence.

Rafael worked in construction for three decades, nearly abandoning painting. However, in 1985, a severe accident, falling from a fourth-floor, forced him to leave his job. This circumstance marked a turning point: Jurado resumed painting, which soon became his true profession. Since then, he has created hundreds of works, collaborating with multiple municipalities, associations, and town halls, and participating or moderating numerous contests.

The Carnival proclaimer of Vélez-Málaga 2026, Darío Quintana

Darío Quintana, also from Vélez, 35 years old, is a healthcare professional and a carnival enthusiast by vocation. He has been involved in the festival for 15 years, participating in different categories, both in murga and comparsa. He began his journey as a murga author in 2013 and later joined the comparsa, remaining until 2023 with his group “La Comparsa de los Quintana”.

He is currently taking a break from carnival activities, immersed in other musical projects that prevent him from dedicating 100% to his group. Nevertheless, he continues to be connected to his great passion: the carnival.