Orihuela has announced the official start of its Christmas season with light switch‑on events on Thursday 4 December and Friday 5 December at different points in the municipality. The 4 December ceremony will be held at six o’clock at the Town Hall in Playa Flamenca and will include a choir and the inauguration of the municipal nativity. On 5 December a procession will tour several streets from five o’clock before the main switch‑on and the public reading of a Christmas story at seven o’clock in Glorieta Gabriel Miró.

The education councillor has explained that the story to be read will be the winning entry from a schools competition. The council has said the jury will meet on Friday, 28 November, to choose the winner from submissions sent by local schools; the selected story will be shared with all centres and read at the switch‑on event.

The town hall has put several festive contracts out to tender totalling about €500,000 so far, including the Christmas market and campaign design and publicity. These join earlier tenders for Santa parades, the Three Kings parades, a children’s New Year event and the lights and Tardebuena services. Councillors have invited residents to come out and enjoy the seasonal activities.