Half a million lights, a virtual assistant and enhanced security during the Torremolinos fair

The decorative lighting, which uses LED technology, comprises more than 540,000 energy-efficient light points. There is an illuminated entrance archway to the fairground, featuring over 20,000 bulbs, as well as a gallery on the main street, decorative features around the fountain roundabout and 80 arches distributed along the various paths within the fairground.

The celebrations will also feature flamenco-inspired designs along Calle San Miguel, including carnations, mantillas and fans.

Children and adults alike will be able to enjoy the attractions, and the Príncipe de Asturias auditorium will host concerts and performances every evening. On Friday, Falete will take to the stage; on Saturday 26 September, Los Aslándticos; on Sunday, Pepe and Vizio; and on Monday 28, the Juan Navarro folk group and the dance troupes led by Manuel Roldán and Lucía Barroso will perform. The municipal children’s 'caseta' will host entertainment every day. There will also be entertainment at the caseta for the over-50s and community groups, featuring the Metrópolis orchestra and other artists such as Araceli González.

On Friday and Saturday, from midnight to 4am, young people will have their own event at the bullring as part of the Recreo festival. Jessy Ojeda will also be performing on Saturday.

The daytime festival will take place in the centre of Torremolinos. The Plaza de la Unión Europea and Plaza de San Miguel will feature live music and a bar serving food and drink, whilst La Nogalera will host performances by bands such as Money Makers, Capitán Vinilo and Mister Propper.

On the 29th, El Kanka will bring the festival to a close with a concert, starting at 8pm, in Plaza Pablo Ruiz Picasso. On this day, a major festival in Torremolinos as it marks the feast day of the patron saint, St Michael the Archangel, the programme will begin at 9.30am with a mass in his honour at San Miguel church. This will be followed by a procession through the town, accompanied by the 4th battalion of the Ronda Legion.

As an example of the fair’s inclusive and accessible nature, the opening speech will be accompanied by a sign language interpreter; furthermore, no music will be played in the fairground area between 7.30pm and 8.30pm, and other measures will be in place, such as identification wristbands for young children and children’s ear protectors.

A quiet, alternative route will be created to avoid passing through areas with the highest concentration of noise and light.

Added to this is a municipal by-law prohibiting the use of fireworks during festivals, celebrations and public events.

The auditorium will feature a family-friendly area designed for people with disabilities, a dedicated platform so that they can enjoy the concerts, as well as accessible car parking; both must be booked in advance via the culture department. A breastfeeding room has also been provided. In addition, a designated area for people with reduced mobility will be set up in Plaza Pablo Ruiz Picasso for El Kanka’s concert and another for the ‘Ritmo a caballo’ show.

The fair programme will be accessible via a QR code and, as was the case last year, a map of the venue will be available in Braille thanks to the involvement and social commitment of ONCE.

In addition, at the night-time fair, ‘violet’ and ‘rainbow’ information points will be set up on the main street of the venue, and the 'nightlife helpline' will be available next to the auditorium.

The Torremolinos Despega app features a virtual chat section that makes it easy for anyone interested to ask all sorts of questions about San Miguel. It operates 24 hours a day on every day of the fair and is multilingual. It answers queries and questions about timetables, venues and performers at any event during the fair, as it is constantly linked to the digital programme.

All citizens need to do is go to the site and click on the ‘ask Miguel’ button, where they can find all the information they need.

The security detail will consist of a total of 95 Local Police officers, nine officers and five deputy inspectors. In addition, on St Michael’s Day, whilst the procession winds its way through the town’s streets, five officers will be on duty for the duration of the event.