The Assembly Hall of Benidorm City Hall was the setting for the presentation of the 2026 pilgrimage poster, a work by Joaquín Reyes, and the Rociero proclamation, which this year fell to the renowned musician and Rociero from Huelva, David Carrasco. The event began after 6:30 PM, with the sounds of the tambourine and Rociero flute, elements that announce one of the most deeply rooted festivals in the town.
Prominent personalities attended the event, including the mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, and the Councilor for Festivities, Mariló Cebreros, along with other members of the municipal corporation. Also present were the queens of the Festes Majors Patronals, Laura Ivars and Carmen Guilem, and the president of the Comissió, Ramón Cano, who wished to support the Hermandad, especially the Hermana Mayor, M. Carmen Amador, and its president, Jesús Malumbres.
After the poster's unveiling, the Hermandad presented a souvenir to Joaquín Reyes, the author of the work, and also to José M. Albero, the creator of the 2025 poster, who could not attend last year's event. The highlight was the proclamation by David Carrasco, director of the choir of the Real Hermandad de Emigrantes de Huelva, who for the first time accompanied him on stage.
“"In the month of May, the Virgin reigns in these lands of Benidorm."
In his speech, Carrasco evoked the devotion and Rociero sentiment, recalling experiences in his native Huelva and the "May mornings when one goes to El Rocío". The proclamation was a combination of prose, verse, and music, with spoken word alternating with Rociero voices and flamenco guitars from the choir, captivating the attending public. Carrasco encouraged everyone to participate in the pilgrimage, emphasizing the deep connection of faith between Benidorm, Almonte, and Huelva.
Mayor Toni Pérez closed the event, expressing his emotion at having witnessed "one of the most beautiful proclamations anyone could ever hear". Pérez recalled his own experience at the Rocío pilgrimage and the "call of Nuestra Señora". He also congratulated the youth proclaimer, Manuel Ponce Sances, and highlighted Reyes' poster, which depicts a Rociero girl with her back to a cart of oxen, with the church of Sant Jaume and Mal Pas beach in the background. The events of the Triduo del Rocío in Benidorm will continue with a mass and the traditional pilgrimage.
