The decision, announced by Mayor Luis Barcala at an event in the City Hall, confirms the significance of these creators in the Alicante hogueras scene. Models of the monuments were displayed during the presentation.
The adult hoguera, titled ‘The Language of Colors’, will explore the chromatic influence on human mood. According to Pedro Espadero, the project uses colors symbolically and expressively, blending satire with a visual discourse on the communicative power of color. For Espadero, this will be his twentieth time erecting the official adult hoguera, a fact he highlighted as a 'foguerer' before an artist. He has indicated his intention to also participate in 2028, the centenary year of Alicante's Hogueras, which will likely be his last official monument before retiring.
Meanwhile, the children's hoguera will be themed ‘You've Got a Friend in Me’. The monument will offer guidance on good friendship, particularly aimed at children, and will include figures addressing school bullying from a child's perspective, thus integrating a social message of awareness. Sergio Gómez, the proposal's author, noted that the idea is inspired by school initiatives, giving the work a particularly emotional character. For Gómez, this will be his fourteenth time erecting an official children's hoguera.
Mayor Barcala emphasized the educational and awareness-raising value of the children's hoguera, while for the adult hoguera, he highlighted its focus on Alicantinian identity. He also announced that the City Council plans to increase the budget for official hogueras for the 2028 centenary, aiming to make the celebration more special and encourage more artists to enter the competition.
This year, only two proposals were submitted for the adult hoguera and one for the children's. The council hopes the financial increase will incentivize greater creator participation. Regarding the new Hogueras decree, the mayor and the Councilor for Festivities, Cristina Cutanda, are working on the final technical aspects to adapt the regulations to the current reality of the festival.
