When are Benidorm's November fiestas and fancy dress day?
Dear Brenda
A group of us want to do the November fiesta for the first time, with the British fancy dress day on the Thursday. What are the dates this year? Where's best to stay, given some of us would rather avoid the noise for part of the week? Is the week before still busy? And are there other fiestas worth timing a trip around?
Book Tuesday 10 to Saturday 14 November 2026: that catches the big parade and fireworks on Wednesday 11 November and the British fancy dress day on Thursday 12 November. The 2026 patron saint fiestas run from Friday 6 to Wednesday 11 November, according to the Valencian tourist board; fancy dress day isn't an official event, it's simply the Thursday after. For sleep, stay in Rincón de Loix or along Levante rather than the Old Town, where the bangers go off day and night; visitors who want to be near the action but not in it suggest the Riudor area at the Old Town end of Levante. The week before is busier than an ordinary November week, with shows and tributes on, and prices drop the week after. Other dates worth a trip: the Three Kings parade on the evening of 5 January, and the Easter week processions from the Old Town church.
Who the regulars recommend
- Rincón de LoixThe calmer base: fully open all week, quieter until fancy dress day, then the heart of the British party.
- Riudor area, Old Town end of LevanteSuggested in 2025 as the base for being close to the fiesta without sleeping in the middle of it.
- Hotel Madeira CentroNamed in 2025 as a good base for fiesta week, near the Old Town end of Levante.
- Dove Park areaWhere a 2025 visitor said the parade sets off, at about 18:00 on the Wednesday. Check this year's route.
Watch out for
- Bangers get thrown, sometimes from cars; keep children and older relatives back from the crowds.
- The Old Town is noisy day and night all week; don't book there if you need sleep.
- Fiesta dates move each year: one 2025 reply put the 2026 start a week later, so confirm with the council programme before you pay.
- Thursday is the busiest day of the year in Rincón de Loix: book rooms and restaurants early.
- Keep phones and bags close in the parade crowds, as at any packed event.
What happens during fiesta week?
Six days of Spanish fiesta, then a British party day. The fiestas start on the Friday, mainly in the Old Town, with fireworks, processions and street music. The main night is the last one, the Wednesday, with a parade of more than 50 floats and fireworks afterwards, so a weekend-only trip misses it. Then on Thursday thousands of British visitors take over the town in fancy dress.
Where should we stay?
Rincón de Loix or Levante if you want to sleep; the Old Town if you want to be in the thick of it. Visitors warn the Old Town is noisy day and night, with bangers at all hours. Rincón de Loix stays fully open but is calmer until fancy dress day, and it's where the British party is busiest. Visitors who come for the British side recommend arriving on the Tuesday and staying to the Saturday.
Where's the best spot for the parade?
Along the route, early. A 2025 visitor said it starts near Dove Park at about 18:00, goes up Avenida de los Almendros, across to Avenida Ruzafa, down to the town hall and finishes near the Julio Iglesias auditorium. Seats along the way cost about €5. Check the council programme for this year's route before you pick a spot.
Is the week before or after still busy?
Yes before, quieter after. A 2025 visitor who stayed a fortnight found the days leading up busy too, and people arrive every day through fiesta week. Afterwards things quieten and prices drop. In November 2025 Benidorm hotels averaged €86 a room, with 63% of beds filled.
Are there other fiestas worth planning around?
A few. On the evening of 5 January the Three Kings ride through the streets throwing sweets to children. Easter week brings processions from the Old Town church; Good Friday 2027 is 26 March. Moors and Christians isn't a big Benidorm event, but neighbouring Villajoyosa holds a famous one in late July: check its programme before you go.
What's the weather like in mid-November?
Mild by day, cool at night. November averages 19.6°C by day and 12.8°C at night, with rain on about five or six days. Visitors who've done fancy dress day say pack something warm for the evening. Costumes that work over a T-shirt and under a jacket are the clever choice.
What the regulars say
- The parade and fireworks are on the Wednesday; a weekend-only trip misses them.
- Want to sleep? Stay out of the Old Town during fiesta week.
- Tuesday to Saturday catches both the Spanish finale and the fancy dress day.
- Pack a warm layer for the evening; fancy dress nights get cold.
The numbers
| What | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Patron saint fiestas, 2026 | Fri 6 – Wed 11 November | comunitatvalenciana.com (Valencian tourist board), checked 15 Oct 2026 |
| British fancy dress day, 2026 | Thursday 12 November | visitor reports, 2025 |
| Parade start | about 18:00, near Dove Park | visitor reports, 2025 |
| Seat to watch the parade | about €5 | visitor reports, 2025 |
| November average day / night | 19.6°C / 12.8°C | benidorm.co.uk/benidorm-in-november (2016–2025 averages), checked 14 Oct 2026 |
| November hotel average, per room per night | €86, 63% of beds filled | benidorm.co.uk/benidorm-in-november (INE, Nov 2025), checked 14 Oct 2026 |
Reader figures are what visitors reported in that year. We have not checked them ourselves unless the source says so.
Your other questions, answered
2026What time does the Good Friday procession leave the Old Town church?
The time changes each year, so check the parish or tourist office programme that week. Good Friday 2027 is 26 March.
2025Is it worth coming the week either side of the fiestas?
Yes. The week before is busier than a normal November week, with shows and tributes on; the week after is quieter and cheaper.
2025Benidorm fiesta 2026: what are the dates?
Friday 6 to Wednesday 11 November, with the British fancy dress day on Thursday 12 November.
2025Any fiestas or events in the first week of April?
Check our What's on page for that week; if Easter falls then, there are processions from the Old Town church. Albir is easy too: bus 10 every 20 minutes for €2.00.
2025Best viewpoints and timings for the fiesta parade?
Wednesday evening, starting about 18:00 near Dove Park in 2025. Seats along the route were about €5; get there early.
2024Will the weekend before fancy dress day be busy?
Busy, but not like fancy dress day itself. The Spanish fiesta starts that Friday, mainly in the Old Town.
2022Moors and Christians: when and where?
Not in Benidorm itself. Neighbouring Villajoyosa holds a famous one in late July; check its programme for the dates.
Read next
Benidorm in November · What's on in Benidorm · Is Benidorm safe? · Cheapest time to go · Planning a group trip?
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