Deeply-rooted verdiales festival returns to the Guadalhorce valley

Nine pandas de verdiales groups from the three different styles will take part in the Ermita de las Tres Cruces Verdiales Festival in Álora on Sunday 3 May

Tony Bryant

The Ermita de las Tres Cruces Verdiales Festival celebrates its 33rd instalment on Sunday, 3 May, a day of community gathering in which nine pandas (groups) from the three different styles will take part. This festival, which is deeply rooted in the province, has been declared an event of provincial tourist singularity and of national tourist interest in Andalucía.

The event takes place at the Ermita de las Tres Cruces, a sanctuary built in 1722 located in the hills of Álora, on the border between the municipalities of Almogía, Pizarra and Cártama.

The festival, which is traditionally held on the first Sunday of May, aims to promote the teaching and spread of Verdiales, one of the best-known cultural and musical traditions of Malaga - the prototype of the fandangos.

The festival kicks off at 11.30am, when the opening ceremony will take place with the raising of flags, followed by performances of the verdiales groups, who will carry out the traditional greeting at the entrance of the chapel. They will then move to a marquee set up for the event, where performances will continue in rotation.

At 1pm, the traditional institutional ceremony of the transfer of ceremonial staffs will take place in front of the mayors and councillors from Almogía, Álora, Cártama and Pizarra. This ceremony will also be attended by representatives from the Malaga provincial council, the provincial federation of verdiales groups and the Ermita de las Tres Cruces cultural association.