In 1490 the catholic kings designated the Saints Ciriaco and Paula as patrons of the city of Malaga, which had been recently conquered. Tradition has it that these saints were two adolescents who, because they refused to renounce their religion, they were executed by the Romans on 18th June 303 in what is now the Paseo de Martiricos.
The tradition also tells us about an earthquake that shook Malaga on 18th June 1581. Fortunately, no-one passed away, so the day was declared as being a public holiday so people would be able to go to church and give thanks for the city's good fortune. That was until 1986, the year in which it was decided to move the festival to September to coincide with the Malaga Fair.
It wasn't until 2013 that the festival of the Patron Saints returned to its original position in the calendar. This is a curious case because it is a traditional festival that has been modernized. In fact, if you go this year, and then return in future years, you will have the privilege of seeing how a Spanish festival evolves. And this is not something you see every day!