The Malaga fair is already making its way down Calle Larios

The new installation has thus definitively replaced the previous one featuring the dancers, which was unveiled for the 2023 festival week. That installation depicted the entrance to a traditional fairground marquee, in the style of those found at the Real de Cortijo de Torres. The new design has seen a return to the use of motifs from Malaga that had already characterised one of the most memorable facades of the century: Chicano’s Picasso-inspired design, which adorned Calle Larios during the ferias from 2001 to 2005.

People are already talking about this unprecedented scene, especially the biznaga symbols, the blue of the façade and the colourful fans: "They bring joy to the street" or "Their colour cheers everyone up" are phrases heard from both locals and tourists. "It was about time," joke others, who welcome the change.

One of those voices belongs to Ana. She arrived in Malaga from Alcalá la Real in 1989 and, almost 40 years later, she looks at the symbols on the entrance façade as if they were part of her own home: “I spent years here and it wasn’t until I retired that I understood what this festival was all about; what the jasmine or the verdiales meant. It’s been lovely in previous years, but I really like this one.” Many others are stopping to look at the new installation. Janette, from Colombia, arrived in the city three days ago, just in time to enjoy the Malaga fair and see her son and granddaughter. “I love it; you really get a feel for the spirit of the city,” she said.

The commemorative arch for the fairs has undergone many design changes since the city first began using it. With this one, there have now been eight different designs adorning the city centre’s fairs in less than 30 years. In 1999, the arch celebrating 100 years of Malaga’s fairs was on display – the very one that had been used since the festivities began in 1899. To continue the decorations on Calle Larios, another change was decided upon in 2000: the Elizabethan arch. This was inspired by the arches that adorned the city when Queen Isabel II visited in 1862.

The new arch was short-lived. In the early years of the new millennium, Eugenio Chicano’s work took its place. It was one of the most iconic entrances to the feria in the city centre, with a colourful design that many people in Malaga still remember today. Following the controversy surrounding its demolition in 2005 by the city council, under the pretext that it was rented on an annual basis and did not belong to the council, it was replaced by the much-remembered giant plant pot.

Ximénez’s work, featuring simple, floral motifs, lasted only for the week of festivities in 2006. It was followed by the famous ‘biznagas’, the archway that has stood the longest on Calle Larios. From the 2007 feria to the 2014 edition, the people of Malaga were able to see the two large bouquets at the entrance to the daytime fair. Not only were these a hit in Malaga, but their design was also seen at fairs throughout Andalucía. The biznagas theme continued in 2015, this time in the form of a red arch featuring illustrations of the flowers, rather than as a sculpture. However, Covid-19, as it did with so many events, brought the fairs to a standstill in 2020 and 2021.