The festival, taking place between September 11 and 13, will offer a mostly free program open to all audiences. In addition to the host Grup de Danzas de Villena, this year's participants include the Grup de Música e Baile Tradicional Alxibeira do Padroado da Cultura (Galicia) and the Agrupación Folklórica Santa Librada (Panama), who will present representative repertoires from their regions. The Extremaduran group ‘El Gato con Jotas’ will also perform.
The festival kicks off on Friday, September 11, at 9:00 PM with a free concert in the Plaza de Santiago by El Gato con Jotas. This project, led by Sergio Gómez, fuses traditional jota music and song with synthesizers and a contemporary aesthetic, aiming to introduce roots music to younger generations.
Saturday, September 12, will be the central day. At 6:30 PM, all participating groups will parade from the Plaza de Santiago to the Teatro Chapí. Following this, at 7:00 PM, an Official Reception will be held at the theater's facade, before the Festival Gala begins at 7:30 PM, with a symbolic entrance fee of two euros.
The festival will conclude on Sunday, September 13. At 10:30 AM, a second parade will take place from Avenida Santuario to the Pinada de Las Virtudes. There, at 11:00 AM, a new free Gala of the Festival will be held, followed by the Closing Ceremony at 1:00 PM, coinciding with the Fiesta de la Esclavitud.
The Folklore Festival, organized by the Casa de la Cultura de Villena and the Grup de Danzas de Villena, with support from the Villena City Council, the Provincial Council of Alicante, and various federations, was established 35 years ago to highlight the Fiesta de la Esclavitud, one of the city's oldest traditions.
