25th March 2026.- Lucena is set to take a further step in promoting and gaining recognition for ist Holy Week with the launch of the application for its declaration as a Festival of National Tourist Interest. The proposal, presented this morning by the Mayor, Aurelio Fernández, together with the Councillor for Tourism, Francisco Barbancho, and the President of the Agrupación de Cofradías, Antonio Díaz, will be submitted to today’s ordinary plenary session for March.
During his address, the Mayor of Lucena stressed that «Lucena’s Holy Week, currently recognised as a Festival of Tourist Interest of Andalusia, has more than enough merits to achieve national recognition». He highlighted recent milestones such as «the declaration of the Santería as a Site of Cultural Interest (Bien de Interés Cultural, BIC) by the Regional Government of Andalusia, together with the impact of the Magna procession held on 27th September, World Tourism Day, which placed the town in the national spotlight, as well as its presence at high-profile events such as the forum organised this week in Seville by the newspaper La Razón, where it shared the stage with the Holy Weeks of the Andalusian capital and Valladolid, reinforcing that this is the right moment to take this decisive step».
«Work is currently under way to prepare all the documentation required by the Ministry, including promotional campaigns, the compilation of supporting material, and the strengthening of our digital presence», he explained. Among the main new developments are the enhancement of the «Holy Week in Lucena» website, its forthcoming translation into other languages, and the introduction of a real-time geolocation system that will allow processional routes to be followed throughout Holy Week.
In addition, a new tourist brochure dedicated to Lucena’s Holy Week has been produced, providing information on processional routes, its history, and the distinctive features of the brotherhoods. Likewise, the public has been encouraged to help promote this heritage thoughout social media using the hashtag #SemanaSantaDeLucena, thereby contributing to strengthening its profile beyond the town.
For his part, Antonio Díaz expressed his gratitude for the support given to this initiative, emphasising that «the uniqueness of the Santería and the deep-rooted nature of its traditions make Lucena’s Holy Week a truly unique point of reference». The aim is to complete the application after Holy Week and submit it during the second quarter of the year, focusing the bid exclusively on the distinctive values of this celebration.
