The Bonfires of San Juan are Alicante's biggest festival and the time when the city operates by different rules. From June 20 to 24, with June 24 being a local holiday, The downtown area is filled with papier-mâché monuments, the Plaza de los Luceros draws thousands of people every noon, and the neighborhoods hold their own celebrations until the early hours of the morning.
It's a spectacular—and also demanding—celebration. You walk a lot, sleep very little, it's hot, and your schedule gets thrown off. This guide is designed to help you make the most of it without running out of steam by the 24th: which events really matter, where each one takes place, how to get around, and where to take breaks.
A heads-up to avoid disappointment: schedules, routes, traffic closures, and additional transportation services are approved through a special mechanism that changes with each issue. Everything explained here pertains to the festival's general structure; for specific details, please refer to the official program for the year.
What Are the Hogueras and Where Do They Come From?
The Origin
The modern festival began in 1928, spearheaded by José María Py, who brought the model of Valencia’s Fallas to Alicante and combined it with the local tradition of lighting bonfires on the night of San Juan. Since then, it has become the most important celebration on Alicante’s calendar and the one that best captures the city’s character.
The Monuments
Each neighborhood committee builds a bonfire, a large monument built with flammable materials and brimming with satirical commentary on current events. They are set up on the street in the days leading up to the event, and They all burn on the same night. The figures that make them up are called ninots, and every year, one of them is spared from the fire by popular vote and is preserved at the Museo de Hogueras, which is also worth a visit outside of the festival season.
Basic Vocabulary
It's worth arriving knowing just four words. The Plantà is the installation of monuments on the street. The Mascletà It is a daytime fireworks display, designed to be heard rather than seen. The Cremà is the final burning. And the Beauty of Fire She is the festival's representative, accompanied by her court of honor.
Events Highlighting the Week
La Plantà
The monuments appear on the streets in the days leading up to the official start. Walking around the city to see the finished bonfires, before the crowds reach their peak, is one of the highlights the most grateful people at the whole party and the best for taking photos at a leisurely pace.
The mascletàs
The Plaza de los Luceros It hosts the daily firing, usually at 2:00 p.m. on weekdays. It’s a short but very intense event, and the plaza fills up well before the scheduled time. If you’re going for the first time, stand a safe distance from the fence and avoid bringing very young children without hearing protection.
The Offering and the Parades
Throughout the week, the flower offering to the Virgin of Remedio, patron saint of the city, the international folk parade and other parades that wind through downtown. These are long events, with spectators seated on the sidewalks along the route, and a great way to spend an afternoon.
The Night of the Cremà
This is the highlight. In the early hours of June 24–25, a flaming palm frond is launched from Mount Benacantil, serving as a signal for all the bonfires in the city to be lit. The Official Bonfire, in Town Hall Square, It's the first one to be burned, and after that, the ones from the neighborhoods go up in flames one by one. The firefighters cap off each burning with the "banyà," the dousing with hoses that the audience accepts as part of the ritual.
The fireworks that followed
Once the main festival is over, the city holds its fireworks competition over several nights. In recent years, the fireworks have been moved to the area around the port and the Paseo Volado on the Levante pier, so it’s a good idea to check where the audience is located each year.
The Best Places to Experience Them
The Institutional Center
The Plaza del Ayuntamiento and the Plaza de los Luceros are where the official events take place and where the largest crowds gather. This is where you need to be for the mascletà and the Cremà of the Official Bonfire, but it’s also the worst place to be if you’re looking for some peace and quiet.
The Neighborhoods
Much of the festival’s spirit lies outside the city center. Carolinas, Benalúa, Florida, San Blas, Campoamor, and La Albufereta host some of the liveliest bonfires and festival tents, with a more family-friendly atmosphere and fewer crowds. Moving between two or three neighborhoods gives you a much more complete picture of the festival than staying put in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.
The Beach on the Night of San Juan
In the early hours of the 23rd to the 24th, the coast fills with people who head down to the beach to celebrate the shortest night of the year. It is a tradition that runs parallel to that of the bonfires and has its own access and safety rules, which are also reviewed each year.
The Shacks and the Neighborhood Festival
The barracas and racós are the venues set up by the committees for eating, drinking, and dancing throughout the week. Some function as private social clubs, while others are open to the general public, with street parties lasting until dawn. They’re the best place to get a feel for how the locals experience the festival—just be sure to check which ones allow visitors.
Keep in mind that the party schedule is shifted. Dinner is late, people go out even later, and the party tents stay open until dawn, so the next day usually starts around mid-morning.
How to Get Around the City During Those Days
For each edition, a special mobility plan is approved that includes traffic closures in the city center, changes to bus routes, parking restrictions, and additional tram service during nighttime hours. The specific scope varies from year to year depending on where the monuments are erected and the scheduled events.
One recommendation that remains consistent is to avoid driving into the city center on major event days. Public transportation—with expanded service—and walking work much better. Before planning your travel arrangements, check the City Council’s website and the transit operator’s website for the specific arrangements for that year’s event, as this information becomes outdated the fastest.
Daily Schedule, from the 20th to the 24th
Day 20
A walk through downtown during the Plantà to see the newly erected monuments and get a first taste of the atmosphere. A quiet dinner, since the pace is still manageable.
Day 21
Mascletà in Luceros at noon, followed by a long lunch to recharge, and an afternoon of neighborhood bonfires. A night of barracas if you can handle it.
Day 22
A day of events and parades. A great day to combine with a visit to a museum in the late afternoon, when the sun is at its strongest and the downtown streets are at their most uncomfortable.
Day 23
St. John's Night. The beach or the neighborhood, whichever you prefer, with the city still bustling into the early morning.
Day 24
Local holiday. The last day the monuments are still standing, with a lively atmosphere in the streets starting at noon and the Cremà in the early morning. It’s a good idea to eat a hearty, unhurried lunch, because it’s going to be a long night.
Indoor plans to regain strength
June in Alicante can be intense, and the combination of heat, noise, and crowds takes a bigger toll than it seems. Here are the most useful indoor spots to visit during the big week:
- The Hogueras Museum, which explains the festival you're experiencing and preserves the pardoned ninots.
- The MARQ, with air conditioning and a spacious layout, is ideal for the middle of the day.
- The MUBAG and the Museum of Contemporary Art, both downtown and worth a quick visit.
- The Central Market in the morning—covered and bustling with life.
- A long, leisurely meal—which, during the Hogueras festival, is the best way to recharge.
For those who live in Alicante
If you're from around here, you already have your own routine, but there are choices that make the difference between enjoying the week and ending up exhausted by the 25th:
- Book group meals well in advance, because demand for large tables is skyrocketing.
- Choose two or three acts and skip the rest, rather than trying to cover the entire program.
- Take advantage of the the mornings of the 21st and 22nd for running errands, which is when the center is least crowded.
- Leave the car parked all week long and get around on foot or by public transportation.
- Book a quiet lunch on the 24th at noon, before the long night.
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<script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>Practical advice
- Comfortable, closed-toe shoes. You end up walking much farther than expected, and there are traces of the party on the ground.
- Hearing Protection If you're going to a mascletà with children.
- Constant hydration. June's temperatures in Alicante and the long hours of sunshine take their toll.
- Cash on hand, because there aren't always card readers at stalls and stands.
- Check out the official program every day. The schedules are adjusted as needed.
- If you're staying downtown, expect nighttime noise all week long.
Frequently Asked Questions
When are the Bonfires of Saint John?
The main events take place from June 20 to 24, with June 24 being a local holiday in Alicante. La Cremà takes place in the early morning hours of June 24–25. The lead-up events, such as the Plantà, begin a few days earlier.
Is it possible to visit Alicante during the Hogueras festival with children?
Yes, and in fact, it's a very family-friendly festival in the neighborhoods. It's best to avoid standing right in front of the mascletàs, wear ear protection, and adjust your schedule, because the nighttime events don't end until the early morning.
Do I need to book accommodations in advance?
It's the busiest week of the year in the city. Both accommodations and restaurant tables for groups are booked weeks or months in advance.
Can you drive through downtown?
During major events, there are traffic closures and restrictions that change from year to year. It’s best not to rely on a car to get around downtown and to check the current plan for the year on the city’s website.
What is the difference between the Hogueras and the Fallas?
They share the same origins and structure—including satirical effigies that are burned at the end of the festival—but the Hogueras are celebrated in June, coincide with the summer solstice, and feature their own unique elements, such as the “fire palm tree” from Benacantil and the firefighters’ “banyà.”.
Where to stop for a bite to eat in the middle of the festival
The festival goes much better if you take the time to sit down and have a proper meal at some point during the day. Between the midday mascletà and the evening at the barracas, there’s a lull that many people fill by standing around and snacking on sandwiches, and that’s exactly when a leisurely meal can make all the difference for the rest of the day.
Bacacay It's right in the heart of the city, just a few steps from the Central Market and it’s close to the hub where almost everything happens, so it serves as a break without forcing you to leave the area or miss the next item on the schedule. Alejandro and Laura, an Argentine-Spanish couple, opened it in 2022 together with Javier, naming it after a street in Buenos Aires where they were happy and with the idea of welcoming guests as you would at home, with a fire burning. During a week of street festivities, sit down to a barbecue with empanadas as an appetizer, followed by a nice cut of meat grilled over charcoal And taking time to linger after a meal is one of the best decisions you can make.
If you'll be in Alicante during those days, Book at least one meal in advance. This is the busiest week of the year at the restaurant, and the large tables fill up quickly, so it's a good idea to check the hours and menu for those dates and make a reservation as soon as you know your plans.
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