Benidorm’s events calendar runs year-round with fireworks, parades, music competitions and traditional fiestas. The city pivots between Spanish cultural festivals and international entertainment events. Here is what is on and when to plan around it. For a complete overview, read our Benidorm travel guide.
Benidorm Events and Festivals: Winter (January to March)
Benidorm Fest (Late January to Early February)
Spain’s national selection competition for the Eurovision Song Contest takes over the Palau d’Esports l’Illa sports arena for a week of semi-finals and a grand final. Tickets range from EUR 20 for semi-final seats to EUR 60 for the final. Even without tickets, the city fills with Spanish music fans. For more detail, see our Benidorm weather by month. Book hotels 2 to 3 months ahead if your dates coincide.
Las Fallas (Mid-March, Main Burning March 19)
Benidorm’s version of the famous Valencia Fallas festival brings towering ninot sculptures (papier-mache figures, often satirical) erected at street corners throughout the city. The festival runs from roughly March 15 to 19, culminating in the crema when the sculptures are burned at midnight on March 19. Daily mascleta firecracker displays at 2pm in the Plaza de la Hispanidad deliver coordinated explosions. The Old Town hosts the main celebrations. This is a loud, smoky festival. For more detail, see our best time to visit Benidorm. Earplugs are useful for the mascleta and narrow Old Town streets get shoulder-to-shoulder on the final weekend.
Benidorm Events and Festivals: Spring (April to May)
Semana Santa (Holy Week, March or April)
Easter week processions wind through the Old Town with religious brotherhoods carrying ornate pasos (floats) depicting biblical scenes. The main processions happen on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday evening. Dates shift each year based on the lunar calendar. For more detail, see our things to do in Benidorm. Accommodation prices spike for Easter weekend.
Elvis Festival (Late April)
Spain’s largest Elvis Presley tribute event brings impersonators and fans to Benidorm for a weekend of concerts at the Benidorm Palace. The festival has run for 16 years and draws an older British crowd. For more detail, see our Benidorm neighborhoods. Weekend passes cost around EUR 60 to 80.
Benidorm Events and Festivals: Summer (June to August)
Noche de San Juan (June 23)
The summer solstice celebration on the night of June 23 sees bonfires lit on Levante and Poniente beaches. Locals and tourists gather on the sand from sunset, with fireworks over the bay at midnight. Tradition holds that jumping over the waves at midnight brings good luck. The beach bars stay open late. This is a free, public event. For more detail, see our where to stay in Benidorm. Arrive by 8pm to claim a good spot on the sand near one of the designated bonfire areas.
SkyFest Benidorm / Indiverso DJ Festival (July/August)
A summer electronic music festival held at outdoor venues around the city, typically running across multiple weekends in July and August. The Indiverso DJ Festival component brings international DJs to beachfront stages. Lineups and exact dates are announced in spring each year. For more detail, see our Benidorm travel tips. Single-day tickets run EUR 25 to 45.
Benidorm Events and Festivals: Autumn (September to November)
Moors and Christians Festival (First Weekend of October)
The Moors and Christians festival commemorates the 13th-century Christian reconquest of the region. Costumed participants in elaborate Moorish and Christian attire parade through the Old Town, culminating in a mock beach landing and battle at Levante Beach on Saturday afternoon. The Christian army “lands” from boats while the Moors defend the shore with blank musket fire. Sunday brings the final parade and the Christian victory. The event is free to watch. Stake out a viewing spot along Calle Mayor or the beach at least 30 minutes before the landing re-enactment.
Fiestas Patronales (Second Weekend of November)
Benidorm’s patron saint festivities honour the Virgen del Sufragio and San Jaime with processions, concerts, and a firework display over the bay. The main procession carries the statue of the Virgin from the San Jaime church through the Old Town streets. This is the city’s biggest local celebration, distinct from the tourist-oriented summer events. Most activities are free and concentrate around the Old Town and Plaza de la Hispanidad.
Benidorm Events and Festivals: Christmas Season (December to January)
From late November through early January, Benidorm puts up extensive Christmas lights along the Levante promenade and in the Old Town. A Christmas market sets up in the Plaza de la Hispanidad with craft stalls, churros vendors, and a small ice rink. The Three Kings parade on January 5 brings floats through the city centre throwing sweets to children. Most hotels host Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve gala dinners (EUR 50 to 100 per person). New Year’s Eve sees fireworks at midnight over both bays. Winter temperatures around 16°C (61°F) mean outdoor celebrations are comfortable with a jacket.
