Puerto de Sagunto sets programme for patron saint festival, 1-15 August
The Federación de Peñas (peñas federation) of Puerto de Sagunto and the city's Fiestas department have finalised the 2026 patron saint festival programme, with children's, bullfighting, music and popular events running from 1 to 15 August.
The opening rocket-firing ceremony (chupinazo) that kicks off the festival will go off at midnight on Saturday 1 August, after peñas (neighbourhood social clubs) and residents gather at 11:15pm at the roundabout where Periodista Azzati street meets Camp de Morvedre avenue. From there, a brass band and a correfoc (a fire-runner parade) will lead the route to the Tenencia de Alcaldía (deputy mayor's office), where the peña La Palmereta will host the traditional xopà supper. This year's opening speech will be given by Club Deportivo Acero. The night before, Friday 31 July at 8pm, the peña El Bocata will open the fairground.
The bullfighting programme runs from Saturday 1 to Monday 10 August, with cattle from breeders including Fernando Machancoses, El Saliner and Hermanos Bellés. At night, the fairground will host live bands Invictus, Wanda, Valparaíso, Evasión, Atlántida, La Flama and Mónaco Party, plus DJ sessions; Sagunto City Council is funding Invictus, Atlántida and Mónaco Party.
Highlights on the calendar include a paella contest on Sunday 2, a children's day on Wednesday 5 with its own rocket-firing and water inflatables, a comedy parade on Thursday 6, and Senior Citizens' Day on Wednesday 12. Thursday 13 brings the children's musical The Jungle Book alongside a tribute concert to singer Joaquín Sabina.
The festival closes on Saturday 15 August with the harbour swimming crossing and the Cucañas games, sponsored this year by Red Bull: the winner receives two tickets to the Valencian Community motorcycling Grand Prix from the Álex Márquez stand at the Cheste circuit. The Cucañas keep their three traditional trials — swimming across the harbour, grabbing a flag from a greased pole, and releasing rubber ducks — which have closed the festival for decades. At midnight, a fireworks display will bring the celebrations to an end.
The port district's patron saint festival also carries a little-known religious background: it is dedicated to Our Lady of Begoña, a Marian devotion originally from Bilbao that was declared patron saint of Biscay in 1903 by Pope Pius X; the devotion arrived in Puerto de Sagunto (coastal district) with Basque workers who came to work at the local steelworks.
The full programme can be downloaded as a PDF from the city council website. According to aytosagunto.es, with additional background from Wikipedia.