The San Miguel feria festivities will officially get under way in Torremolinos with the traditional pilgrimage (romería), which will take place on Sunday 20 September.

The blessing of the pilgrims and the departure of the town's patron saint will take place at 9am at the San Miguel Hermitage. This quintessential procession of oxen and tractor-drawn carts followed by thousands of pilgrims gathers at 9.45am on Avenida de los Manantiales for a traditional mass and a performance by the San Miguel Choir. At 10.30am, the colourful procession sets off along Avenida de los Manantiales and on to Plaza Costa del Sol, where thousands of onlookers gather to admire the carts, which are decorated in typical Andalusian style.

The procession will then trundle its way through the streets heading to El Pinar pine woods, where the revellers enjoy an afternoon of entertainment, before heading to the small shrine for a mass dedicated to the saint. From 5.30pm, the open area in front of the hermitage will host performances by Ulises Serrano, Carlos Bravo and Los del Río, a duo best known for their 1993 hit single Macarena.

Around 200,000 people are expected to converge on the town for this traditional pilgrimage. The celebration offers a postcard image of a truly Spanish festivity, a day in which the townsfolk and visitors dress in colourful Andalusian attire, while fine horses parade the streets and the dancing of flamenco and sevillanas is seen in every available space.

The pilgrimage marks the arrival of the town's annual fair, which takes place from 25 to 29 September.

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