This year, the Fiestas del Santísimo Cristo de La Laguna will showcase over fifty popular, cultural and religious events, occurring from September 5 to 22. Among the musical acts highlighted this year are Café Quijano, Pasión Vega, and Mocedades.
Yesterday, during the unveiling of the poster and the official schedule of the celebrations, it was announced at an event held in the Plaza del Cristo, outside the sanctuary, where the primary stage was already being prepared. Attendees included the Mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez; the Councillor for Festivals, Dailos González; the poster’s designer for this edition, Lola Carbajosa; the chief slave of the Cristo, Francisco Túbal; and the rector of the sanctuary, Víctor Álvarez.
The mayor commended the “fantastic programme” devised for these “significant and meaningful” festivities, which “hold a special place in the hearts” of both La Laguna residents and individuals across the entire Island.
Simultaneously, the Councillor for Festivals outlined the agenda of popular, cultural, and sporting events arranged for all audiences, officially commencing on 5 September with the proclamation reading by Francisco González de Aledo Buergo, a lawyer and former chief slave of Christ, at 8:30 p.m. in the sanctuary’s atrium.
Among the key activities taking place on the first weekend of the festivities are the exceptional concert by the Tenerife Symphony and the Cristo Rock Festival (both on September 6), the first of two planned comedy nights (on the 7th and 12th), and the XLVI Sabandeño Festival (on the 8th). Additionally, on the 10th, the Festival of Seniors will feature performances by Mocedades, alongside the third edition of the inclusive festival (on the 11th); the pandorga and fire horses parade and the Night of Traditions (on the 13th), and the concert by Los Cantadores, featuring special guests Blas Cantó, Nia, Soraya, and Arístides Moreno (on the 15th). Other highlights include the Opening ULL University Welcome Party, a new addition this year (on the 19th), and musical performances by Café Quijano (on the 21st) and Pasión Vega (on the 22nd), as well as the inaugural Siroco event with Iván Ferreiro, Santdstill, and Said Muti (on the 20th). Furthermore, there will be street parties, open-air movie nights, and a Children’s Fair on the three Sundays of the festivities, along with exhibitions and sporting activities.
The complete programme can be viewed on the La Laguna City Council website at https://www.aytolalaguna.es/.
Religious Events
Meanwhile, the chief slave praised the “superb artwork” of this year’s poster, describing it as “beautiful”, and outlined the religious events associated with the celebrations. After the proclamation reading, on September 9th in the morning, the traditional veneration of the holy image will occur, followed by the procession to the Cathedral at 6:00 p.m. that afternoon. Between September 9th and 13th, the solemn quinarium will be celebrated, featuring a sermon from the emeritus bishop of Santander, Manuel Sánchez.
The culmination of the religious events will take place on September 14, starting with the civic-military procession featuring the royal banner. This year, the official representation of the king will be held by Astrid Pérez, the president of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, marking “the third instance” a woman has occupied such a position, stated the senior slave, along with the procession returning to the sanctuary of Christ. In the afternoon, a field mass will be held in the temple’s atrium, followed by a procession through the town’s streets, concluding with the traditional fireworks display of Risco.
The rector of the sanctuary highlighted a new initiative this year, indicating that within the temple, there will be papers for individuals to write their requests and place them at the feet of Christ while the image is at the Cathedral. Each day during the quinarium, these requests will be addressed as “a more inclusive way to engage the public,” he explained.
Poster Design
Concerning this year’s poster, its designer, Lola Carbajosa, remarked that “it was evident to me that because it celebrated the festivities, it needed to be vibrant yet respectful of traditions.” She noted that the image of the Holy Christ occupies the poster’s centre, “which has always filled me with peace and joy,” and mentioned that, “as a loving gesture, one of the angels holds a bomb with the number 93,” to honour the connection between the brotherhood of the Slavery and the 93rd Field Artillery Regiment, alongside the recent designation of the Christ of La Laguna as its special protector.
