18th January 2026.- Lucena took the first step towards Holy Week 2026 yesterday, Saturday, with the official unveiling of its Holy Week poster at the Erisana Palace, in an event that once again highlighted the town’s deep cultural and emotional connection with its most important week of the year.

The evening opened with a performance of the march Triana by the Sociedad Didáctico Musical Banda de Música of Lucena, conducted by Miguel Herrero Martos, setting a solemn and evocative tone from the outset. This was followed by the screening of the audiovisual Procesión Magna: Lucena Lives the Passion, recalling one of the most significant recent milestones in Lucena’s confraternity history.

The Secretary of the Agrupación de Cofradías formally welcomed those in attendance before reading the minutes of the Holy Week Poster Competition, followed by the presentation of the Detalles de Pasión Competition Award to Manuel Arroyo Algar.

The central moment of the evening came with the unveiling of the official poster for Holy Week in Lucena 2026, followed by the presentation of the award to its creator, Miguel Cantero Sabán. The artwork depicts the ‘Pollinita del Carmen’ on the morning of Palm Sunday, with the Carmelite church forming its backdrop —an image that brings together tradition, light, and devotion at the beginning of Holy Week. The official unveiling was carried out by Antonio Díaz, President of the Agrupación de Cofradías of Lucena; Jesús María Moriana, Spiritual Director of the Agrupación and Episcopal Vicar for the Campiña; and the Mayor of Lucena. Aurelio Fernández.

Following a performance of Cristo en la Alcazaba, the artistic presentation of the poster was delivered by María Dolores Molero Maíllo, who offered a personal and literary interpretation of the work. Music once again took centre stage with performances of the marches Siempre Macarena and Viernes Santo en Lucena. During this part of the evening, Lucena-born composer Fernando Chicano, who wrote the latter piece, was honoured in recognition of his contribution to the town’s confraternity musical heritage.

A certificate of recognition was also presented to Manuel Roldán Fernández in acknowledgement of his work on the 2025 Procesión Magna, highlighting the technical expertise and organisational effort that made this historic event possible.

The ceremony concluded with addresses by the Mayor of Lucena and the President of the Agrupación de Cofradías of Lucena, before culminating in a performance of Mektub and an audiovisual presentation that brought the evening to a close. More than simply unveiling a poster, the event marked the beginning of the countdown to another Holy Week in Lucena.