Candidates running in the 28M elections keep a tightly packed schedule filled with public events designed to reveal their platforms while staying connected to voters. Beyond policy rollouts, direct engagement remains essential, and both PSPV leader Ximo Puig and PPCV’s Carlos Mazón lean into crowds with practiced ease to maximize outreach.
The atmosphere heated up late in April when the Alcoy Moors and Christians Festival opened the campaign with a political edge. Diana Morant, the Minister for Science and Innovation, and Enric Morera, speaker of the Valencian Parliament, appeared among others, yet the attention centered on contenders for the regional race. Leading the field were Ximo Puig, who heads the Generalitat and seeks reelection; Carlos Mazón, president of the Provincial Assembly and a potential successor in the Palau; and Joan Baldoví, the top candidate for Compromís.
Since then, nearly every major event has drawn figures from the two dominant formations, particularly in Alicante province. Each side pursues activities tailored to its party identity, with festival appearances across the Valencian Community—especially in Alicante—remaining a steady fixture on the campaign calendar.
The festival circuit intensified as May 28 approached. This weekend marked the campaign’s first significant push. Puig undertook a demanding itinerary that, in his role as regional president, continued to signal his candidacy. On Saturday, he joined the centennial celebration and procession of the Virgen de los Desamparados in Valencia, followed by a public screening of Blanca Paloma’s Eurovision performance that evening. The events occurred at a sports center in Elche, where socialist mayor and reelection hopeful Carlos González attended alongside Aitana Mas, vice president of the Consell and lead candidate on Alicante’s Compromís slate.
In a moment captured by photographers, Mazón posed with a group of Petrer residents and the town’s mayor, Paco Ponce. The scene underscored a habit among politicians to mingle with communities at festive gatherings, reinforcing a shared local pride and a sense of belonging.
Puig did not lose momentum. He traveled to Petrer on Sunday, a town alive with Moors and Christians celebrations, where he joined a luncheon at the Hitites-Moros Fronterizos center with the mayor and Irene Navarro, who hopes to run again. He spoke sparingly about the campaign, instead stressing the importance of identity and regional roots, and suggesting that such traditions should endure beyond the pandemic-era restrictions. The aim was to preserve the cultural heartbeat while acknowledging the public health lessons learned in recent years.
Meanwhile Mazón kept pace. After attending a neighborhood paella event, he returned to Petrer in the afternoon to tour several cultural precincts with the town’s mayor, Paco Ponce. As PPCV leader and a candidate for the Generalitat, Mazón highlighted the value of local traditions and argued that Petrer has a solid project ready to advance. The day then moved to Aspe, where Mazón joined Cipreses neighborhood festivities with mayoral hopeful Sergio Puerto. Early Sunday morning, he was back in Valencia for the Missa d’Infants, a service honoring the Virgen de los Desamparados, alongside María José Catalá, a candidate for mayor of the Túria area. The day concluded with plans to advance a policy framework that protects regional identity and cultural heritage, with a focus on strengthening local roots. From there, the schedule shifted to Elche for a festive game day organized by the city’s football clubs.
Holiday signatures: a vote guarantee?
Puig and Mazón’s heavy involvement in public celebrations aims to foster direct contact with residents, yet it also carries potential electoral effects. A study funded by the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya examined how local festivities influence electoral support, finding that sustained investment in these celebrations during the final year of a term can translate into stronger backing at the polls.
Both parties find festivals fertile ground for building support. In Alicante, the PP slate features Cristina Cutanda, Nayma Beldjilali, and Marina Niceto, all closely tied to the Hogueras tradition. The socialist regional list also includes a number of locally connected figures such as Miguel Castelló, Trini Amorós, and Emilio Ruiz. Orihuela’s leading candidate, José Vegara, brings experience from the Moors and Christians organization to the table. The festival circuit thus serves as a practical stage for linking policy ideas with everyday life, letting voters feel seen and heard while keeping sight of the broader electoral map.