An evening of live entertainment, affordable food and family-friendly celebrations will once again bring the local community together.

Patron saint celebration returns

Velez-Malaga will once again come together celebrate its patron saint with the II Verbena de la Patrona (Patron Saint Festival), taking place on Saturday, August 15, at the Explanada del Cerro in the historic town centre. Organisers confirms a full evening of entertainment, with performances beginning at 8.30pm and continuing in true Spanish style until well after midnight. Put together by the local religious brotherhood, the cheery annual event gives attendees a chance to relax, eat, drunk and socialise while fundraising at the same time.

Evening programme packed with music and dance

Opening the event at 8.30pm will be the Elsa Guerra Dance Academy, followed at 9.30pm by performances from the Cristina Gallardo Dance Academy. Live music will begin at 10.30pm with the talented singer Benito Garcia, before Spanish group Ñ Clan headline the celebrations from midnight. Keeping your feet tapping throughout the evening will be DJ Palomares providing the tunes into the early hours.

Food, drink and scratch-and-win prizes

Visitors will also find a bar serving food and drinks at affordable prices, Another attraction will be the popular “Rasca y Gana” scratch-and-win raffle, where hundreds of prizes donated by local businesses will be available.

Organisers say more than 50 local companies, shops and commercial sponsors have contributed to this year’s festival. Their support has helped make the event possible and reflects strong backing from the wider Velez-Malaga business community.

Community support at the centre of the festivities

Much more than a night of entertainment, the festival serves as a fundraising and social event for the religious brotherhood responsible for organising celebrations connected to the town’s patron saint. Scheduled for August 15, on a public holiday and major religious feast day across Spain, the II Verbena de la Patrona is a wonderful opportunity for residents to support local traditions.

You’ve had your day at the beach, you are freshly showered and ready for dinner and drinks. Well, rather than heading to a restaurant this August, try popping to Elviria to sample some delicious street food and listen to some incredible live music. Maybe even have a dance?

Mouth-watering flavours and eight pumping live acts

Gastronomy awaits visitors at Pinar de Elviria, where nine food trucks will be serving up tasty bites from Thursday, August 13 through to Sunday, August 16. Starting at 7pm each evening, guests can wander through a lively market and choose from the variety on offer.

Live performances will take place every night, featuring eight live musical acts across the four days. Fans of classic pop hits can catch Abba Angels taking the stage at 9:30pm on Thursday, August 13, followed by the extremely popular Zak & Bruno, at 10:30pm. Rock enthusiasts will want to mark Friday, August 14 on their calendars when Queen of Magic delivers their rocking tribute performance starting at 10:30pm.

Weekend festivities kick in on from Saturday, August 15 with dual performances starting at 11pm, featuring live sets from local favourites Layla and Mami Curl. Sunday, August 16 rounds off the four-day extravaganza with early evening sets from the talented Joaco Viera at 8pm, followed by Ollie Hugs at 9:30pm. Every performance will keep audiences singing and dancing into the warm evening.

Not just food and music

Craft market shoppers can stroll along the artisan walk, discovering handmade treasures and unique local goods. Younger visitors will find excitement in the designated children’s area, ensuring parents can get a chance to soak in the evening atmosphere while their kids play.

So head to Pinar de Elviria if you are looking for some late evening entertainment and a nibble on something a bit different. This 4-day foody festival really has something for everyone.

Firefighters across Murcia’s north-west have been put through their paces today, battling three separate blazes in Moratalla, Cehegin, and Caravaca de la Cruz. Heavy smoke and strong wind gusts have made for an extremely tough shift on the frontline, with regional authorities pulling out all the stops to prevent widespread destruction.

Emergency callers rang 112 at around 3.50pm after spotting flames rising near Cortijo de Jabanas, right by the forest track connecting Inazares and La Rogativa in Moratalla. Local residents quickly alerted authorities about the fast-moving wall of fire, triggering a massive multi-agency response.

Regional President Fernando Lopez Miras officially activated the regional emergency Plan Infomur, calling in extra help to tackle the growing inferno. Over 100 forestry personnel and 11 aircraft were rapidly scrambled to the scene, including water-dropping helicopters from Murcia’s public safety department, ministry aircraft, and reinforcement teams sent across border lines from neighbouring Castilla-La Mancha.

¡Puf! Un kilómetro de frente de llama. Esta tarde (08/08/2026), se acaba de declarar un #incendio en el término municipal de #Moratalla (#Murcia), entre Puerto Hondo e Inazares. Los medios de extinción ya están trabajando para contener el avance del fuego. Vídeo: @Plan_INFOCAM. pic.twitter.com/2w4EXhgePr

— MeteOrihuela (@MeteOrihuela) August 8, 2026

High winds complicate firefighting efforts in Moratalla

Strong wind gusts exceeding 35 km/h have made air support operations tricky, blowing hot embers across dry terrain and feeding the flames. Ground crews consisting of 14 forest brigades have been working non-stop to cut firebreaks and surround the active front. Emergency coordinators have not yet given an official figure for total burnt land or declared the perimeter contained, meaning teams face a long night ahead on ground duty.

Cehegin and Caravaca extinguished after snap action

Efectivos del #Plan Infomur combaten un incendio forestal en #Moratalla

Intervienen:

✅@defensaforeMUR
✅@aamm_murcia
✅@dgsce_RM
✅@mitecogob
✅@gobjccmhttps://t.co/tfK7ZKGEIK pic.twitter.com/6faGQ7CPZb

— 112 Región de Murcia (@112rmurcia) August 8, 2026

Earlier during the day, crews had already dealt with two separate fire outbreaks in neighbouring districts. Emergency services received urgent calls at 12.38pm regarding an agricultural fire at La Pollera in Cehegin. Heliborne brigades and regional fire units rushed to the scene, successfully putting out the flames before they could spread beyond a 12,000-square-metre patch of farmland.

Meanwhile, another small outbreak flared up near El Moral in Caravaca de la Cruz. Firefighters assisted by a ministry helicopter based in La Alberquilla quickly tackled the incident, locking down the burn area to just 120 square metres.

Lightning strikes from heavy storms the day before have left forestry officers on high alert across the entire region. Rapid intervention teams remain stationed around Caravaca de la Cruz to watch for hidden embers that could ignite under the summer heat.

Imágenes y video que @defensaforeMUR nos manda del incendio de #Moratalla pic.twitter.com/Va9qMpGLMQ

— 112 Región de Murcia (@112rmurcia) August 8, 2026