Although many fiestas run throughout the whole year, this is the big one for Benidorm – The Benidorm November Fiestas.
Thousands of Benilovers plan a Benidorm holiday to coincide with the celebration of the town’s patron saints.
The church of San Jaime in the Old Town is decked out with flowers while the streets across the whole resort are alive with outdoor theatre, live music, colourful float parades, puppet shows and more.
The town will be full of peñas (organisers’ private parties), which will go on long into the night.
During the 6-day event there’s something for everyone, from sport and competitions to cultural events and religious processions.
Benidorm Fiestas highlights
The Fiestas honour Benidorm’s two patron saints, the Virgen del Sufragio and Sant Jaume, and the story behind them goes back to 1740, when a burning, crewless ship washed up on the shore and a carved figure of the Virgin was found in its ashes.
On the Saturday, that discovery is re-enacted on Poniente Beach. On the Sunday, a flower offering fills the Old Town with colour as people in traditional dress carry bouquets to the church of San Jaime. Through the week there are daily mascletàs (loud, rhythmic firecracker displays), a correfoc fire run, parades of the peñas, open-air concerts and, on the final Wednesday, a parade of floats followed by fireworks over Poniente Beach.
Good to know: mascletàs and firecrackers are very loud, so worth knowing if you’re with children or anyone sensitive to noise.
Book your hotel early, as this is one of the busiest weeks of Benidorm’s year.
And don’t forget, the day after the Fiestas end, Thursday 12 November, is Fancy Dress Day, when tens of thousands of people in costume fill The Strip.
