Villena will swap its Moros y Cristianos costumes for another collection of traditional dress next weekend, as performers from Spain and Panama arrive for three days of music and dance.
The 35th Festival de Folklore de Villena (Villena Folklore Festival) runs from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September. Most events are free, with performances in Plaza de Santiago, Teatro Chapí and Las Virtudes.
This year Villena welcomes performers from Galicia, Extremadura and Panama, alongside the local Grupo de Danzas de Villena.
Friday night brings an ‘electrojota’ to Villena
The festival starts at 21:00 on Friday 11 September with a free concert in Plaza de Santiago by El Gato con Jotas.
The Extremadura act takes traditional music in a rather different direction. Behind the project is Sergio Gómez, from Peraleda de la Mata in Cáceres, who grew up surrounded by regional folk music.
He calls his style electrojota, combining traditional jotas and songs with synthesisers and a contemporary sound. The project has already appeared in more than 150 cities and won Best Band or Artist at the 2026 Extremadura Music Awards.
Traditional dress takes over the town on Saturday
Saturday 12 September brings the main festival gathering, with all the
participating groups heading through Villena in traditional dress.
The parade leaves Plaza de Santiago at 18:30 and makes its way to Teatro Chapí. An official reception takes place outside the theatre at 19:00, followed by the main Festival Gala inside at 19:30.
This is the only event in the programme with an admission charge, and tickets cost €2.
Joining Villena’s own dance group will be Grupo de Música e Baile Tradicional Alxibeira do Padroado da Cultura from Narón in Galicia and Agrupación Folklórica Santa Librada from Las Tablas in Panama. Each will bring music, dances and costumes from their home regions.
Sunday takes the festival to Las Virtudes
The final day begins at 10:30 on Sunday 13 September with another parade. This one leaves Avenida Santuario and heads towards the Pinada de Las Virtudes.
A free Festival Gala starts there at 11:00, followed by the official closing ceremony at 13:00.
There is a reason the festival finishes in Las Virtudes on this particular Sunday. Its history connects directly with one of Villena’s older local traditions.
Why the festival takes place in September
Villena created its Folklore Festival 35 years ago to add another dimension to the Fiesta de la Esclavitud (Feast of the Esclavitud), which takes place every 13 September at the Santuario de Nuestra Señora de las Virtudes.
The religious celebration is one of Villena’s oldest festivities, and the festival deliberately holds its closing events alongside it.
Over the years, that local connection has grown into a much wider celebration of traditional music and dance. Visiting groups bring the songs, dances and clothing of their own regions and countries, while Villena shares its traditions in return.
That is also why Sunday’s events move away from the town centre and out to Las Virtudes, linking the modern international festival with the celebration that inspired it 35 years ago.
Bridging the Gap’s recap
- Villena’s 35th Folklore Festival runs from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 September.
- Performers are coming from Galicia, Extremadura and Panama, alongside the Grupo de Danzas de Villena.
- El Gato con Jotas opens the festival in Plaza de Santiago at 21:00 on Friday.
- Saturday’s parade leaves Plaza de Santiago at 18:30 for Teatro Chapí.
- The main Saturday gala starts at 19:30 and costs €2.
- Sunday’s parade to Las Virtudes begins at 10:30, followed by a free gala at 11:00.
- The festival closes at 13:00 on Sunday, alongside Villena’s traditional Fiesta de la Esclavitud.
