Status: fixed dates, 20 to 24 June every year. In 2027 that is Sunday to Thursday, with the overnight build (the plantà) on Saturday 19. Detailed programme not yet published. Checked 28 September 2026.
The Hogueras de San Juan, the Bonfires of Saint John, are Alicante’s official fiestas and the biggest festival in the province: a Festival of International Tourist Interest since 1983 and listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2014. Every district builds a huge sculpture in the street, and on the last night they all go up in flames at the same time.
If you know the Fallas of Valencia, this is the same idea moved to midsummer and put next to a beach. The concept was proposed in the 1920s by José María Py, and the first organised edition was in 1928.
What the words mean
| Term | What it is |
|---|---|
| Hoguera | The monument itself: a sculpture several metres tall, built of wood and papier-mâché, usually satirical. There is a full-size one and a children’s one in each district |
| Plantà | The build. The children’s hogueras go up on the night of the 19th, the adult ones on the morning of the 20th |
| Mascletà | A daytime firework display that is about sound, not light: a rhythmic barrage of gunpowder you feel in your chest. Every day at the Plaza de los Luceros |
| Cremà | The burning. At midnight on the 24th every hoguera in the city is set alight |
| Banyà | The soaking. As the monuments burn, the fire brigade hoses down the crowd standing closest. People queue up for it |
| Barraca | Each district’s street bar and party tent, open through the festival |
| Bellea del Foc | The festival queen, chosen each year with six ladies-in-waiting, in adult and children’s categories |
The programme, day by day
| Event | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Parade of the bands | Saturday afternoon before the plantà | All the district commissions with their bands, in traditional dress |
| Plantà | Night of the 19th and morning of the 20th | From then on the monuments can be visited |
| Mascletà | Daily, Plaza de los Luceros | Get there half an hour early |
| Flower offering | 21 and 22 June | To the Virgen del Remedio; said to be the oldest flower offering in Spain |
| International folk parade | Night of the 23rd | Luceros → Alfonso el Sabio → Rambla → Altamira → Town Hall |
| Cremà | Midnight, 24 into 25 June | Starts with a firework palm launched from the castle hill |
| Banyà | Straight after the cremà | Bring something to change into |
| Fireworks competition | 25 to 29 June | A different pyrotechnics company each night |
Third-party information (Alicante City Council and festival organisers), checked in September 2026. Exact times change from year to year: confirm them in the official programme before travelling.
Which day, if you can only do one
The 24th. Watching a monument several metres high burn at midnight, with the banyà behind it, is unlike anything else. The catch is that it is also the busiest day of the year in Alicante.
If you would rather see it calmly, come on the 21st or 22nd: the monuments are up, there is a mascletà, and the city is far more manageable. In 2027 the 20th falls on a Sunday, so that opening weekend will be especially heavy.
And if fireworks are your thing, the week to come is the one after: 25 to 29 June, with the city already emptying out.
Seeing it without fighting the city centre
During the festival the centre of Alicante is closed to traffic street by street, and parking anywhere near the Rambla or Luceros is, in practice, impossible. Driving in on the 24th is not a good idea.
For the mascletà at Luceros, arrive half an hour early and do not press up against the barrier: fifty metres back sounds just as loud and you can breathe. With small children, watch from further away and bring ear protection.
If you are staying on the southern coast
Alicante is about 45 minutes from Torrevieja and half an hour from Santa Pola, and in the third week of June accommodation in the city itself is close to impossible. Many people sleep on the coast and go up only for the events.
We do the trip door to door, with a return time agreed beforehand, dropping you and picking you up at an agreed point outside the traffic closure. The night of the 24th is when it makes most sense: you leave late, the centre is gridlocked and there are no free taxis.
Flying in: see Alicante airport to the city and Alicante airport to Torrevieja. The airport is 11 km from the centre.
Common questions
When are the Hogueras de San Juan 2027?
20 to 24 June, as every year. The children’s monuments go up on the night of the 19th, and the burning is at midnight on the 24th.
Is there an entrance fee?
No. The monuments are in the street, and the mascletàs and the cremà are free. The district barracas have their own entry rules.
Is it suitable for children?
By day, very much so: the monuments are full of detail and the children’s hogueras are built for them. The mascletà and the cremà are different: very loud, very crowded and very late.
How is it different from the Fallas?
Same idea, monuments built to be burned, but the Fallas are in March in Valencia and the Hogueras are at midsummer in Alicante, with the beach next door and the banyà to finish.
What if I hate crowds?
Walk round the monuments on the morning of the 21st or 22nd, and watch the cremà on television. Or come for the fireworks from the 25th to the 29th.
Other big festivals within reach of the coast: Benidorm Fest and Orihuela Holy Week. The full Spanish-language calendar is at Eventos.
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Related: things to do in Alicante, Santa Bárbara castle, airport transfers.