The initiative «L'Alfàs 2026. Cultural Year» goes beyond mere commemoration of anniversaries, highlighting a way of understanding public management. It is not just about the centenary of the Espai Cultural Escoles Velles, nor the 35 years of the Casa de Cultura, nor significant anniversaries such as those of the Museo Villa Romana, the Faro de l'Albir, the Centro Social de la Playa, La Cantera, or the Centro de Educación Ambiental Carabineros. It speaks of a sustained trajectory over time and a coherent cultural policy.
Cultural infrastructures are not born by chance; they require vision, planning, and above all, political will. When there is political commitment, culture becomes an investment. L'Alfàs del Pi currently hosts 12 festivals a year, the result of a serious and stable cultural strategy. The Film Festival, now in its 38th edition, is the most visible example.
Furthermore, the municipality boasts a solid network of 14 cultural spaces, 8 of which are municipal. These spaces are designed for citizens and serve collective life, preserving memory, strengthening shared identity, and building bridges between generations. The presentation of the book «Records escolars. Memòria i vida de les Escoles Velles» reminds us that culture is not a luxury, but memory, community, and belonging.
“"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance. The same applies to culture. It is never too costly. What is truly expensive, irresponsibly expensive, is to do without it."
Municipalities like Altea or La Nucía have also understood that culture generates social, economic, and territorial value. Culture attracts, unifies, revitalizes, and projects, improving quality of life and strengthening a municipality's image. In contrast, the situation in Benidorm is raised, one of the major tourist engines of the Comunitat Valenciana, which suffers from an insufficient cultural policy.
The reality in Benidorm shows an unfinished cultural center, infrastructures below what corresponds to its size, and political decisions that reveal a worrying lack of priorities. A recent example is the diversion of funds intended to improve the acoustic conditions of cultural venues towards street paving. Cutting culture means cutting opportunities, social cohesion, and quality of life.
Benidorm cannot afford this inertia if it wants to lead international tourism and boast modernity. The lack of a clear political decision is what prevents the city from leveraging its cultural potential, just as other municipalities did decades ago.
