Following a particularly heartfelt Friday, when Leire Arellano Ruiz was proclaimed child Belleza del Fuego, this Saturday saw the turn of her adult counterpart. The event brought together the festival community for one of the most significant occasions in the official calendar.

The new Belleza del Fuego was chosen two weekends ago at the election event held at the Alicante bullring. Her purple brocade, the afternoon's best-kept secret, is a testament to the craftsmanship of Vives i Marí, featuring 6,210 warp threads, 46 weft colors, and three different gold metals.

The ceremony opened with music, including the anthem of the Hogueras de Sant Joan performed by the Societat Musical La Paz de Sant Joan d'Alacant, and 'Latidos de la terreta' by Rubén Urban, a tribute to traditional Alicante music.

The maids of honor received their sashes from the president of the Hogueras, David Olivares, wearing citrine yellow brocades. María Pastor dazzled with her purple brocade.

Loreto Brotons, a lawyer and social activist, served as the event's orator. She delivered an emotional tribute to her niece, the Belleza del Fuego: "María, your story also has something of a bonfire, because it rises, because it has been built little by little, with patience, with helping hands, and with immense confidence that all effort eventually finds its place."

Finally, the mayor of Alicante, Luis Barcala, presented the sash to the Belleza del Fuego. The Generalitat, the City Council of Alicante, the Provincial Council, the Federation of Hogueras, and À Punt offered floral tributes, alongside other public and private entities.

The proclamation was attended by the main representatives of other festivals in the Valencian Community, including the Fallera Mayor of València, Carmen Prades Gil, and the queen of Castellón, Clara Sanz i Sobrino.