Els PortsL'Alt MaestratEl Baix MaestratL'AlcalaténLa Plana AltaLa Plana BaixaL'Alt MillarsL'Alt PalànciaEl Racó d'AdemúsEls SerransEl Camp de TúriaEl Camp de MorvedreL'Horta NordL'Horta de ValènciaL'Horta OestL'Horta SudLa Plana d'Utiel-RequenaLa Foia de BunyolLa Vall de CofrentsLa Ribera AltaLa Ribera BaixaLa Canal de NavarrésLa CosteraLa Vall d'AlbaidaLa SaforEl ComtatL'AlcoiàL'Alt VinalopóEl Vinalopó MitjàLa Marina AltaLa Marina BaixaL'AlacantíEl Baix VinalopóEl Baix SeguraEls PortsL'Alt MaestratEl Baix MaestratL'AlcalaténLa Plana AltaLa Plana BaixaL'Alt MillarsL'Alt PalànciaEl Racó d'AdemúsEls SerransEl Camp de TúriaEl Camp de MorvedreL'Horta NordL'Horta de ValènciaL'Horta OestL'Horta SudLa Plana d'Utiel-RequenaLa Foia de BunyolLa Vall de CofrentsLa Ribera AltaLa Ribera BaixaLa Canal de NavarrésLa CosteraLa Vall d'AlbaidaLa SaforEl ComtatL'AlcoiàL'Alt VinalopóEl Vinalopó MitjàLa Marina AltaLa Marina BaixaL'AlacantíEl Baix VinalopóEl Baix Segura
VA|ES|EN

Diari Valencià

Valencia Prepares for the Festivity of Mare de Déu dels Desamparats 2026

The city of Valencia is getting ready for the celebration of its patron saint, the Mare de Déu dels Desamparats, with a program full of religious acts, music, and folklore from May 8 to 20, 2026.

Facade of Valencia City Hall with balcony and iron railings, bathed in afternoon sunlight.
IA

Facade of Valencia City Hall with balcony and iron railings, bathed in afternoon sunlight.

The city of Valencia is preparing for the celebration of the Mare de Déu dels Desamparats in May 2026, with a program combining devotion, music, and popular tradition, transforming the historic center.

The festivity of the Mare de Déu dels Desamparats, patron saint of Valencia, will once again fill the city's streets with one of its most heartfelt celebrations and highest popular participation. For several days, the Valencian capital will be transformed around its patron saint, combining religious acts, traditional music, folklore, and moments of strong symbolic significance that are part of the Valencian identity.
The program, which will mainly take place between Friday, May 8 and Sunday, May 10, 2026, with activities extending until Wednesday, May 20, annually gathers thousands of people in the historic center. The schedule is distributed between the Royal Basilica, the Plaza de la Mare de Déu, and the Valencia Cathedral, featuring masses, dansaes, concerts, manual bell ringing, and processions that set the pace for days where devotion blends with popular culture.
The most anticipated moment will arrive, as usual, on the second Sunday of May, which in 2026 falls on May 10. It is then that Valencia concentrates its main day, with the Mass of the Descoberta, the Mass of the Infants, the transfer of the Mare de Déu, and the general procession through the city center.
One of the most prominent aspects of the program is its musical and folkloric component, with traditional dansaes in the Plaza de la Mare de Déu, the participation of dance groups from Fallas commissions, towns, and city collectives, as well as the grand concert by the Valencia Municipal Symphonic Band. This year, the concert will also include the premiere of a new processional march by Valencian composer Javier Forner, inspired by the Coronation Hymn and titled Mare de Déu.
The program will continue on Monday, May 11, with the traditional Ronda a la Mare de Déu in the Plaza de la Mare de Déu, and will extend until Wednesday, May 20, the day on which the public kissing of the patron saint's hand will be held, with open access until the last faithful passes.
Institutional involvement, the work of cultural entities, and citizen participation consolidate this celebration as one of the most important events in the Valencian festive calendar. Furthermore, this year the city will once again be specially adorned for the occasion, with floral decorations at various points along the processional route, enhancing the atmosphere of a festivity that combines heritage, identity, and collective sentiment.

Related News