8 July 2025. – With just 81 days to go until the Great Passion Procession (Magna), ‘Lucena Lives the Passion’, which will take place on 27th September to coincide with World Tourism Day, the Agrupación de Cofradías of Lucena presented several technical details of the event at a press conference this morning.
The President of the Agrupación, Antonio Díaz, announced that «tomorrow, Wednesday, from 9.00 a.m., tickets will go on sale for those wishing to enjoy this Great Passion Procession from Plaza Nueva», the focal point of the official procession route, where a total of 1,853 seats will be arranged in ten sectors on the north and south sides, in addition to the presidential stand, reserved for civil, military and ecclesiastical authorities and situated in front of the Town Hall.
Tickets may be purchased online via the Giglon platform or in person at the Recuerdos Aracelitanos shop (closed for holidays from 1st to 22nd August), located on the side of Plaza Nueva, thanks to the collaboration of the Royal Archconfraternity of Mary Most Holy of Araceli.
In this regard, each sector will have its own designated entrance gate, and an area will be reserved for people with reduced mobility. Sector 6 is recommended for elderly visitors, as it offers the easiest access. Once management costs have been deducted, the proceeds from ticket sales —priced between €9 and €14, depending on the row— will be donated to the Parish Charitas of Lucena.
It was also announced that access to Plaza Nueva on the day of the Great Passion Procession (Magna) will open from 6.00 p.m., when each attendee will be issued with an identification wristband at the entrance checkpoint. Admission tickets will also be required for children over twelve months of age.
OFFICIAL PROCESSION ROUTE SAFETY AND EVACUATION PLAN
During the press conference, held at the Confraternity of Love and Peace Brotherhood House-Museum (Casa Hermandad-Museo de la Cofradía Amor y Paz), Manuel Roldán, the architect responsible for the design of the official procession route and the Safety and Evacuation Plan, also addressed those in attendance. Roldán explained that the plan covers the entire 550-metre official procession route and includes «evacuation points and controlled access points manned by volunteers and private security staff».
The person in charge of the plan also emphasised that «Lucena has never before had a major official procession route. For that reason, we have sought to ensure both the comfort of spectators and the best possible presentation of the processional floats, so that everyone can fully enjoy the Great Passion Procession (Magna)».
The official procession route will begin at 7.00 p.m. in Alcaide Street and end at the junction of El Peso and El Agua Street. The entire route, extending along Las Torres Street, Plaza Nueva and El Peso Street, will be securely enclosed with barriers.
LUCENA SHOW ITSELF TO THE WORLD IN THE JUBILEE HOLY YEAR
Also speaking at the press conference was Jesús María Moriana, Vicar of the Campiña and Chaplain of the Agrupación de Cofradías of Lucena, who emphasised that «it is a religious event that also becomes a cultural and tourist occasion and, moreover, a charitable one, through its support for the Parish Charitas of Lucena, ensuring that it is not merely a public event but also an expression of solidarity with those most in need». He also thanked the members of the Organising Committee for their work and expressed the hope that «above all, it will help bring people closer to God and to Lucena».
For his part, the President of the Agrupación de Cofradías of Lucena reiterated that the event «has been conceived as a comprehensive, transversal project, as well as a historic opportunity to promote Holy Week in Lucena through its confraternity heritage and the productive sectors associated with this event». According to Antonio Díaz, the Great Passion Procession (Magna) will «showcase Lucena to the world beyond its borders, making this event a powerful tool for raising the town’s profile, attracting visitors and national and international media alike, and presenting a Holy Week that is unique, distinctive and to be experienced first-hand».
THE GREAT PASSION PROCESSION (MAGNA) OF LUCENA
A total of 18 devotional images —Christs, Virgins and mystery processional thrones— from the town’s 17 Passion brotherhoods and confraternities will take part in the Great Passion Procession (Magna), led by Mary Most Holy of Araceli, patroness of Lucena and of the Andalusian countryside. The processional cortège will follow the chronological order of Christ’s Passion, Death and Resurrection, offering a devotional and artistic heritage, featuring images dating from the 16th century to the present day.
Alongside the distinctive sounds of the Lucena drum and the ‘torralbo’, the town’s unique sound heritage, the procession will also feature the musical accompaniment of leading bands, including Agrupación Musical Virgen de los Reyes (Seville), Banda de Cornetas y Tambores Ntra. Sra. de la Victoria ‘Cigarreras’ (Seville), Agrupación Musical Ntro. Padre Jesús de la Redención (Seville), together with the local bands Agrupación Musical Stmo. Cristo de la Humillación and the Sociedad Didáctico Musical Banda de Música de Lucena.
The churches from which the different processional routes will begin are: Major Parish of St. Matthew the Apostle, Parish Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán, Parish Church of Saint James the Apostle, Convent Church of the Reverend Franciscan Fathers, Church of St. Peter Martyr, Philippian Chapel, and Hermitage of God Father.
The event, which will mark a milestone for the town, will turn Lucena into the focal point of sacred art, cultural and heritage traditions, and religious tourism. It will allow visitors to discover a Holy Week that has been designated a Festival of Tourist Interest in Andalusia since 2003 and whose defining feature is Santería, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest at national level at the beginning of 2025.
Lucena’s Holy Week dates back to the 16th century, as do many others throughout Andalusia, although earlier precedents also exist. Today, it is a driving force behind the town’s economic and social development, sustaining and outstanding heritage and renowned workshops specialised in gold and silversmithing, bronze work embroidery, religious imagery, and woodcarving, among other traditional crafts. For its part, the art of the ‘santería’ — unique in the world, with an anthropological, ethnographic, social and cultural value that trascends conventional classifications — has been present since the early 20th century, while its origins can be traced back to the influence of Málaga and the ‘paso correón’. It is a living intangible heritage, transmitted orally from one generation to the next.
The event is sponsored by Lucena Town Council and Córdoba Provincial Council. Finally, it should be noted that Lucena is a founding member of both Caminos de Pasión and the European Network of Holy Week and Easter Celebrations, reflecting the distinctive character of this tradition not only in Andalusia, but throughout Spain and across Europe.
Link to purchase seat-tickets:
