The Nit de l’Albà will once again light up the skies of Elche, taking place on Tuesday 13 August, the biggest firework spectacle of the year, in honour of its patron saint.
More than 2000 kg of gunpowder are fired with both organised shows, and the residents taking part with their own fireworks, until at midnight, between the bursts of pyrotechnics, there is a solemn silence, darkness falls and one of the songs that are part of the Misteri d’Elx is sung, before the entire sky over Elche is illuminated once more with an incredible palm tree of light.
The origins of the Nit de l’Albà date back to the late Middle Ages, coinciding with the origins of La Festa o Misteri d’Elx (Mystery of Elche), declared by UNESCO in 2001 a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity” (Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2008).
Today, although the Nit de l’Albà has undergone various changes throughout history, the presence of lights and thunder has always been a constant. The traditional and popular spirit of this celebration has been maintained to this day, so that it is not a common fireworks display that is watched passively, but rather an entire city launching fireworks, an entire town as both a spectator and an architect of the festive act.
