Jo Chipchase reports on the witches, spooky vibes, and traffic congestion at Soportújar’s Noche de Brujas 2026 event…
A SMALL Alpujarran village famed for its spooky theme attracted large crowds on Saturday 7 November. Now in its ninth run, the Soportújar Noche de Brujas 2026 featured a witches’ procession, street theatre, artisan market, costume competitions, and fireworks, with visitors arriving from a wide catchment area. Many turned up on scheduled buses from as far away as Cordoba. Others simply came from down the road in Órgiva.
Soportújar’s autumn witch night is part of Proyecto Embrujo – the successful initiative started by its town hall (ayuntamiento) to attract visitors and help reverse depopulation. The village began its witch-themed Feria del Embrujo in 2009, followed by a separate November celebration in 2017. The scheme has made Soportújar one of the best-known tourist destinations in La Alpujarra.
The project has brought new businesses and families to the municipality, leading to the village’s transformation. The November celebration has become an attraction in its own right.
According to the town hall, the Soportújar Noche de Brujas 2026 event attracted over 7,000 visitors. This is no mean feat for a small Alpujarran village.
Congestion on the roads
However good the event is, you need to cast a spell to secure a parking space. Approaching this year’s festivities at around 19.00, the reporter encountered traffic backed up below the village, as far down as neighbouring Carataunas, with cars parked along the roadside and buses seemingly everywhere. It was quite difficult to pass the buses, with badly-parked cars blocking the way behind.
On some poorly illuminated stretches of approach road, it was difficult to see visitors who were dressed entirely in black witch costumes. Drive carefully, people! And pedestrians, do wear some hi-vis! Road safety can be “fun” too!
Police were controlling access to the village. After explaining that I intended to reach a parking area above Soportújar, which lead to a cortijo where I keep animals, I was allowed through two cordons. However, it was not the best idea. I soon found myself surrounded by artisan market stalls, burger queues, and visitors who were indifferent to the presence of vehicles. It was as if my pickup truck were invisible, even though it resembles a “tank”.
Witches, coloured lights, and stalls
Despite not being able to reach the era (threshing circle with parking) above the village, there was a clear advantage to parking near the artisan stalls. I was close enough to the action to see all the spooky costumes and take some photos – without hiking 2km from the outskirts, with the worry of leaving my dog behind in the car.
For the Soportújar Noche de Brujas 2026 event, many buildings were tastefully illuminated in different colours, the artisan market tents were decorated, and many visitors had dressed in spooky costumes. The streets were crowded and the plaza full.
Bruno (dog) was enjoying the proceedings from the passenger window of the car. A large dog sticking his head out of an equally large pickup tends to attract comments – generally positive, this time round.
I spent half an hour taking photographs and recording videos for TikTok, especially of people converging towards the plaza. The costumes, illuminated façades, and crowds were good content.
Mobile reception was unreliable. The food stalls were busy, with long queues adding to the congestion. The food looked quite tasty, but I was loathe to leave the car in its not-quite-kosher parking spot.
Managing to back out
Turning the pickup around required some manoeuvring, given the number of people wandering past. Eventually, I managed a three (or was it more)-point turn and headed back down the road.
Passing one elevated parking area I noticed a white lorry with two wheels positioned precariously over the edge. I could imagine the owner coming back from the plaza, to find it had tipped over.
Despite the parking difficulties, the visit had produced interesting photographs and videos, one of which later gained over 40k views. Shame I didn’t get to grab a snack or browse the stalls – but it seemed wise to “quit while ahead” with the car.
A popular event…
Proyecto Embrujo was developed to create economic opportunities and attract new residents to Soportújar. The growth in tourism has brought investment in local businesses and infrastructure. It has also put pressure on local access roads and parking. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many cars at a municipal fiesta – at least, not recently.
Mayor Manuel Romero Funes told South of Granada “Noche de las Brujas 2026 has once again put Soportújar in the spotlight. We welcomed an impressive crowd, with more than 7,000 visitors in our streets. This is an outstanding success of which we are deeply proud, and it consolidates our village as an essential destination for themed and cultural tourism throughout Andalusia.”
“The public response once again exceeded our expectations. I would like to express my most sincere thanks to the residents for their hospitality, as well as to the security forces, Civil Protection, and the organising team for ensuring a festive, welcoming day without incidents.”
He adds: “To addres directly the high volume of vehicles during this edition, we introduced a special shuttle bus service operated by ALSA, connecting our municipality with Órgiva, Carataunas, Pampaneira, Bubión, and Capileira. Our aim of providing comfortable and smooth access to Soportújar was fully achieved, and the measure was very well received by attendees.”
“Continuing these improvements, we are actively working on the construction of new parking areas with capacity for more than 300 spaces.”
“This work forms part of an overall plan involving an unprecedented total investment of more than €4 million, which we expect to complete between 2027 and 2028. This historic budget will not only resolve parking but will also cover a range of new infrastructure projects designed both to improve the tourist experience and directly enhance services and the quality of life of our residents.”
He concludes: “With this major investment and the expansion of transport services, we are providing lasting solutions for mobility and reinforcing our commitment to making Soportújar a better place to live and visit every day.”
For those wanting an alternative event, Soportújar’s August Feria del Embrujo has a programme spread across several days, rather than concentrating so many visitors into one evening, like the Soportújar Noche de Brujas 2026. Put on your witches hat – and arrive early to magic up a prime parking spot!
