The streets of Muxía are beginning to fill with activity as preparations get underway for the “Virgen de la Barca” Festival, a celebration that has been declared a Festival of National Tourist Interest (FITN) since 1989 and is supported by the Regional Government of Galicia. The event will take place between tomorrow and Monday 15 September and includes a full programme of activities, combining religious services with cultural and leisure activities.
‘We hope the weather will be kind to us, especially on the big day, and that we will be able to celebrate the Romería de la Barca as normal,’ explains Ramón Barrientos, president of the Cultural Association. The organisers of this event are working tirelessly to promote Muxía’s biggest event beyond Spain’s borders. In fact, the town will be visited by international media professionals who have shown an interest in learning more about this event.
As for the festival programme, tomorrow, 12 September, will begin with the setting off of 21 fireworks at 12 noon, followed by a parade of giants and big-heads with bagpipe bands through the town (which will be repeated on Saturday 13 September at the same time in the morning, and on Sunday 14th and Monday 15th at 9:00 a.m.).
Next, the first vermouth session will take place with Disco Móvil CDC, which will also end this first day of festivities with another performance in the evening.
Proclamation by CF Muxía
The official opening of the Romería de la Barca will take place at 8.30 pm on the orchestra stage, located on the Malecón. On this occasion, and in tribute to grassroots sport, the opening speech will be given by the players of CF Muxía. The event will be presided over by the director of the Galician Tourism Agency, Xosé Manuel Merelles, members of the Cultural Association of the Romería de la Barca de Muxía, and representatives of the Muxía Town Council.
Next, the night-time festival will begin. This will be led by the Kubo orchestra, which boasts the largest stage in Spain.
Music will also play a leading role on Sábado de la Barca, with the Alianza orchestra providing entertainment at the open-air dance, which will be repeated in the evening, together with París de Noia. The highlight will be the grand fireworks display from the Muxiano pier, which will begin at 12.30am.
The fireworks display will continue on the big day of the Romería de la Virgen de la Barca pilgrimage, Sunday 14 September, with the largest fireworks display in Galicia at 2.30 pm, followed by a performance by the Virgen de la Barca Polyphonic Choir. There will be a macro vermouth session with Acordes y Galaxia, who will repeat their performance in the evening together with the Los Satélites orchestra.
To close the musical programme, international singer Soraya Arnelas will give a concert on Monday 15th at 11.30 pm on the pier. That same day in the morning, for the vermouth session, there will be a performance by the M-3 Show Orchestra.
Religious programme
The leisure activities will coexist at all times with the devotion and contemplation characteristic of these important days. Tomorrow, the Novena de la Barca will conclude with the Eucharist at 7:00 p.m., which will be attended by the episcopal subdelegate for Children and Youth and parish priest of the U.P. de Riazor in A Coruña, Santiago Romero.
On Saturday of the Barca, there will be Masses at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. (sung), 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. On Sunday of the Barca, the big day, there will be Mass at the same times. However, the 1:00 p.m. Mass, the outdoor Mass, will be the main event of the day and will be held outside the Santuario de la Barca. This will be followed by a procession carrying the image of the Virgen de la Barca to the pier, where the blessing and the throwing of palenque bombs will take place, before the Saint is transferred to the parish church.
On Lunes de la Barca, Masses will be held at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. At 12:30 p.m., the procession will depart from the parish church and make its way to the Sanctuary, where a solemn Mass will be held.
Activation of the Security Plan
In anticipation of large numbers of visitors, the Security Plan for the Virgen de la Barca Pilgrimage has been in place since yesterday. Numerous security and emergency personnel from different parts of Galicia and Spain are expected to attend the big day. Among them are mobile ICUs, units specialising in gender violence, SAMUR teams, a dozen Civil Guard patrols, and more than fifty volunteers from Civil Protection groups in Galicia and other communities such as Madrid and Extremadura.
All information about the celebration can be found on the event website https://romeriadabarcademuxia.com/ and on its Facebook and Instagram profiles.