The announcement was made by municipal spokesperson, Inma Sanz, following the Governing Board meeting. Sanz highlighted Ónega's extensive career, a journalism graduate with broad experience in television and radio, currently hosting Ahora Sonsoles on Antena 3. She also emphasized her work as a writer, which led her to win the Premio Planeta in 2023.
“"She will be an extraordinary town crier for our festivities."
The opening speech will take place at 8:00 PM from the balcony of the Casa de la Villa. This choice represents a significant shift in municipal policy, as all previous town criers since José Luis Martínez-Almeida became mayor had been men. Ónega's predecessors include figures such as Santiago Segura, Antonio Resines, Ramoncín, David Summers, and Dani Carvajal.
The last woman to deliver the San Isidro opening speech was Elvira Lindo in 2019, during Manuela Carmena's administration, which promoted gender parity. At that time, two men and two women were chosen, including Santiago Auserón, Juan Luis Cano, and Almudena Grandes. The 2020 festivities were canceled due to the pandemic, and in subsequent years, the list of town criers was exclusively male.
The decision to appoint Sonsoles Ónega responds to repeated demands from opposition groups, such as the PSOE and Más Madrid, who have criticized the lack of female representation in the city's public events. Socialist councilor Soledad Murillo and Más Madrid spokesperson, Rita Maestre, had previously criticized the invisibility of women in such appointments.
