The mayor of Granada, Marifrán Carazo, accompanied by the pregonera of the Corpus, the singer Alicia Morales, presided over the opening ceremony of the Feria del Corpus 2025 of Granada on Saturday, with the lighting of Real de Almanjáyar done by Rocío Carrasco Requena, a 32-year-old woman from the Zaidín District, chosen through a draw among Granada residents over 18 years old.
During the ceremony, the mayor invited all Granada residents «to enjoy our festivals, filling the fairground and streets and squares of the city with life» and highlighted the «effort of the City Council to ensure a varied and participatory fair that respects our traditions and is a space for fun and meeting to experience the best atmosphere with friends and families,» as reported by the City Council in a statement.
Among the novelties of this year’s lighting, in addition to the performance of the pregonera Alicia Morales, the City Council highlighted a festive nod to the European Capital of Culture project 2031, with the installation of two vinyls displaying the logo chosen by Granada’s candidacy.
The show also featured performances by the Municipal Group of Regional Dances and the Municipal School of Dance ‘Reina Sofía’. At the end of the event, the Municipal Band of Music of Granada played the anthems of Granada, Andalusia, and Spain, marking the beginning of the city’s grand celebration, which traditionally starts with more intensity with the parade of the Tarasca on the following Wednesday, dressed this year by the Granada designer Iván Martín, and continues on Thursday the 19th with the Corpus Christi procession.
It was also noted that the municipal booth opened 14 minutes after the lighting ceremony with performances by the Arrayan orchestra and the Venezuelan singer Carlos Baute. This year, the Granada City Council proposed a new entrance gate on the side of the Ferial Grounds, located on Joaquina Eguaras Avenue.
This entrance is adorned with a luminous structure 11 meters wide and 13 meters high, with a total of 24,500 LED points of light adding to the 1.2 million distributed throughout the Ferial Grounds and the city.
CORPUS PLAN
The Granada City Council has established a Corpus Plan that will have the supervision of over a thousand Local Police officers, with the aim of «ensuring a quick, coordinated, and effective response to any incident from June 14 to 22.» At the same time, traffic cuts and diversions have been approved, and a protocol to reinforce waste collection brigades has been designed.
For this purpose, 1,072 Local Police officers will be deployed in two distinct sectors. In the Ferial Grounds, 852 officers will be on duty in morning, afternoon, and night shifts, responsible for interior surveillance, access control, and prevention of illicit activities.
This operation will be reinforced by the mounted police section, which will provide daily service from 11:00 to 21:00, and by two plainclothes units for specific tasks of theft and illegal sales control. In the city center, 220 officers will ensure the smooth running of the main Corpus events, such as the Pregón, the Tarasca parade, and the procession.
The traffic plan will include temporary closures on the Triunfo-Gran Vía-Reyes Católicos-Puerta Real-Acera del Darro-Puente Blanco axis during the two main events: on Wednesday, June 18, for the Tarasca, from 11:00 to 14:30, and on Thursday, June 19, during the Corpus procession, from 10:00 to 14:00.
Additionally, sidewalks near the metro stop at the fairground will be expanded during peak hours to «ensure pedestrian safety.» Regarding cleanliness, the Granada City Council, in collaboration with the concessionaire company Inagra, has devised a special plan operative from June 2 to July 1, with an average of 77 workers per day during the fair week and a total of 850 workers involved.
The actions include prior clearing of the fairground, mechanized sweeping, hosing down of the albero, intensive cleaning in the city center, and nighttime reinforcements. 320 waste paper bins of 240 liters will be installed in the fairground, divided into fractions «to facilitate recycling at the source, in addition to specific containers for organic waste and domestic oil in the booths.»
These containers will be washed daily to prevent odors and ensure hygiene. Special cleaning devices such as sweepers and workers will be deployed for special events like the Tarasca and the procession. A final cleaning of the fairground is also planned as the booths are dismantled.
Lastly, the City Council has advised the public to use public transportation – urban bus, metro, and taxi – to access the fairground. If using a private vehicle, it is recommended to do so through Avenida Juan Pablo II, Merced Alta, and Joaquina Eguaras, where there is public parking at Casería de Aguirre, next to the new entrance gate to the fairground.