Now you can mark it in red on the calendar: the Batalla Naval de Vallekas 2025 has a celebration date and it will be next Sunday, July 20. The announcement comes from the hand of the Cofradía Marinera de Vallekas, in charge of channeling the party, through a publication on its Instagram profile.
This curious and joyful contest brings the neighbors to the streets of the neighborhood every year to get wet for hours with all the utensils at hand, from buckets and basins to water guns. And even the Puerto Rican singer Ozuna has participated in it (in the 2022 edition).
But something that makes this festival different from others is – in addition to its theme – that it is not only a recreational event: in line with the neighborhood and the people who host it, the Batalla Naval has a markedly vindictive character that leads it to get wet for a social or solidarity cause, and 2025 will be no exception.
Where does the Batalla Naval de Vallekas come from?
The celebration of this festival dates back to the last century: as explained by the Vallekas Seafaring Brotherhood itself, it was some young people who gave rise to this aquatic confrontation in July 1981 when they were refreshing themselves with the water hydrants of the Bulevar.
The following year, what is considered to be the first Batalla Naval was held – attended by more than 3,000 people – and has continued uninterruptedly since then until the present day, even in times of pandemic.
For the occasion, marine decoration is installed in the streets, activities such as popular paellas are organized, the song-hymn of the festival is played and T-shirts are made with a different design for each edition -last year’s paid tribute to Rayo Vallecano for its centenary-.
A centenary Rayo that returns to Europe 25 years later
Rayo Vallecano have been the cause of great joy these days in Vallekas. Their draw against RCD Mallorca on May 24 and Osasuna’s draw against Deportivo Alavés made possible the utopia that was already on the horizon: Rayo will play in Europe in the 2025/2026 season.
The fans and the euphoria invaded the field of a stadium from which they had tried to kick them out in the same year in which the team, the fans -and, with difficulty, the board of directors- celebrated their first centenary of life. However, the “franjirrojos” were able to live in their neighborhood and with their people this historic moment with which they put the cherry on top of the season: the Santa Inés will set sail for a Europe that, as a banner read, will see them again 25 years later.