Benidorm Fancy Dress Party 2026: Thursday 12 November
Europe's biggest fancy dress street party. 30,000 people, 18 floats, one Thursday on Calle Gerona.
Facts checked 21 October 2026 against the sources at the foot of this page.
Short answer
Benidorm's British Fancy Dress Party is on Thursday 12 November 2026, the day after the town's patron saint fiestas end. It is free and it happens on the street, around Calle Gerona, Calle Lepanto and Calle Mallorca in Rincón de Loix (the "English Square" end of town). Police close Gerona and Lepanto to traffic from about 11:00, costumes fill the bars from midday, and the float parade starts just after 16:00. About 30,000 people are expected, and it goes on late into the night. (Marina Baixa Digital, 20 Oct 2026)
We're coming!
Going to the Fancy Dress Party on Thursday 12 November 2026? Put your group on the board. No email, no sign-up: just your group, how many of you and what you're coming as.
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Key facts
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Thursday 12 November 2026 | Town hall presentation, 20 Oct 2026 |
| Where | Rincón de Loix: Calle Gerona, Calle Lepanto, Calle Mallorca | CBNoticias |
| Road closures | Gerona and Lepanto closed to traffic from about 11:00 | Marina Baixa Digital |
| Parade | Float parade ("cabalgata multicolor") from just after 16:00 | CBNoticias |
| Floats | 18 floats, dance and entertainment groups signed up so far (about 15 in 2025) | Marina Baixa Digital |
| Bars and hotels taking part | More than 50 | CBNoticias |
| Crowd | About 30,000 expected | Ahora Marina Baixa |
| Cost | Free. Public streets, no ticket. You pay for your own drinks | Visit Benidorm |
| Who runs it | Rincón de Loix bars and hotels, with the town hall | Ajuntament de Benidorm, 13 Nov 2025 |
| After the Thursday | Smaller events on the Friday and Saturday | Ajuntament de Benidorm, 13 Nov 2025 |
| Time | Spain is one hour ahead of the UK | — |
Best costumes from past years
Our picks from the town hall's own photos of the party. Group themes win every year.
What happens on the day
2026 times where the town hall has announced them; the rest are from 2025.
| Time | What | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Costumes start to appear in the Rincón bars | Ajuntament de Benidorm, 2023 |
| About 11:00 | Police close Calle Gerona and Calle Lepanto to traffic | Marina Baixa Digital |
| Midday | Vehicle checks around Mallorca, Gerona and Lepanto (2025) | Ajuntament de Benidorm |
| 14:00 | Party officially under way (2025) | Visit Benidorm |
| Just after 16:00 | Float parade: floats, dance groups and batucada drummers | Marina Baixa Digital |
| Evening to late | The party carries on in the bars well into the night | Ajuntament de Benidorm |
Where to go and where to stand
- Calle Gerona is the heart of it. The floats go along Gerona, and it is the most packed stretch of the day. (Ajuntament de Benidorm)
- Avenida Derramador is wider, so it is easier to see the floats go past. (Mara Boutique Apartments guide)
- Calle Lepanto is where it all started, at Sinatra's. In past years the parade ran Lepanto, then Derramador, then Gerona. The 2026 route is not published yet. (The Olive Press, 2023)
- The street stage on Calle Gerona, by Morgan Tavern, had live music and DJs in 2025. (benidormfancydressparty.com)
- See the area: Rincón de Loix guide and bars.
How it started
It began 32 years ago at Sinatra's pub, the idea of local businessman Manolo Nieto. (Marina Baixa Digital, 20 Oct 2026) The usual story is that Manolo gave a free drink to anyone who came in costume on the Thursday after the fiestas. (IBTimes, 2015) The first one had about 40 people. (Murcia Today, 2022) Nieto says it "evolved by itself", as other bars joined in for nothing. (Ajuntament de Benidorm, 2025) The floats came later. Today the town hall calls it possibly the biggest costume party in Europe. (Ajuntament de Benidorm, 2025)
Previous years
Same Thursday, same streets, bigger every time. Crowd figures are the town hall's and organisers' own.
Thursday 13 November. More than 30,000 people, about 15 floats, party from 14:00. (Ajuntament de Benidorm)
Thursday 14 November. About 30,000 expected and about 30 floats signed up, parade from 16:00. (AlicantePlaza) Photo: 2025.
Thursday 16 November. About 40,000 people; the floats set off at 15:00. (Ajuntament de Benidorm)
Thursday 17 November. The first party after the pandemic and the 25th anniversary: almost 45,000 people, the organisers said. (Murcia Today) Photo: 2023.
Thursday 14 November. About 35,000 Britons. Then no party in 2020 or 2021. (Ajuntament de Benidorm)
Why people love it
- It is the Brits' own day. It was born in the British end of town, and most people there are British, of every age. (Eurochange)
- People book the whole holiday around it. In 2022 Nieto put the number coming just for the day at about 9,000. (Ajuntament de Benidorm, 2022)
- It is free and open. No tickets, no wristbands. You turn up dressed as something. (Visit Benidorm)
- It is not just Brits any more. Belgians, Dutch and Spanish visitors and locals join in. (Ajuntament de Benidorm, 2025)
- It stretches the season. Events run on the Friday and Saturday too, to keep visitors in town longer. (Ajuntament de Benidorm, 2025)
Costume tips
- Group themes work best. Hens: Barbie, cowgirls, a bride in white with a pink crew. Lads: builders, Vikings, lifeguards, retro tracksuits. (Mara Boutique Apartments guide)
- Forgot yours? Shops in Benidorm stock costumes. (Benidorm Total)
- Wear comfortable shoes. You will be on your feet in packed streets for hours. (Visit Benidorm)
Where to stay
- Stay within walking distance of Calle Gerona. The streets close to traffic from about 11:00, so taxis cannot get you to the door. (Marina Baixa Digital)
- Book early. Hotels count on late bookings for this week: in 2023 the hotel association Hosbec put early-November occupancy at 75.5% before the Fancy Dress bookings came in. (AlicantePlaza, 2023)
- Don't fly home on the Friday. (spanish-fiestas.com)
- Compare Benidorm hotels or use the live price map below.
Drinks on the day
There is no official unlimited-drinks wristband for the Fancy Dress Party. You buy drinks bar by bar. (Visit Benidorm) If you want a bottomless hour, the Shamrock open bar runs every day from March to November and starts at 19:00, so it fits after the parade. (Funktion Events) Every option, with prices: unlimited drinks in Benidorm.
Videos from 2025
Filmed by visitors and local channels on YouTube.
Fancy Dress Day 2025 · Benidorm Enthusiast
The full day, 2025 · Benidorm Now
Along the Strip, 2025 · Benidorm Channel
A first-timer's day · Just Deano
Is it for families?
It is an adult day. Bars, drinking and loud music are the heart of it. (Mara Boutique Apartments guide) If you bring children, the afternoon parade is the part to see. For the family side of November, see the fiestas guide.
Watch out for
- Calle Gerona and Calle Lepanto close to traffic from about 11:00. Walk in.
- The 2026 parade route is not published yet. The parade starts just after 16:00.
- Agree a meeting point with your group before you go. The streets are packed.
- Hotels near the Strip fill up for this week. Book a room you can cancel if your dates might change.
Questions people ask
When is Benidorm Fancy Dress 2026?
Thursday 12 November 2026, the day after the patron saint fiestas end. The town hall presented the 2026 party on 20 October 2026.
Is it free?
Yes. It happens on public streets and there is no ticket. You pay for your own drinks in the bars.
What time does it start?
Costumes fill the bars from late morning. Police close Gerona and Lepanto at about 11:00, the party is in full swing from 14:00, and the float parade starts just after 16:00. It runs late into the night.
Where is it?
In Rincón de Loix, the British end of Benidorm: Calle Gerona, Calle Lepanto, Calle Mallorca and the square around them.
Is there an unlimited-drinks wristband?
Not for the party itself. You buy drinks bar by bar. Our unlimited drinks guide lists every bottomless option in Benidorm, with prices and days.
Who started the Fancy Dress Party?
Local businessman Manolo Nieto, at Sinatra's pub, 32 years ago. It began as a party among friends with about 40 people.
How many people go?
About 30,000 are expected in 2026. The organisers counted almost 45,000 in 2022, the first party after the pandemic.
Why is it always on a Thursday?
It is held on the Thursday straight after Benidorm's patron saint fiestas, so the date moves each year. It was 17 November in 2022, 14 November in 2024 and 13 November in 2025.
Hotels near Calle Gerona with live prices
Live prices from Booking.com, Expedia and others via Stay22. We earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. How we earn.
Sources
- Marina Baixa Digital: Fancy Dress Party 2026, date, parade and road closures (20 Oct 2026) — checked 2026-10-21
- CBNoticias: Fancy Dress Party expects more than 30,000 people (20 Oct 2026) — checked 2026-10-21
- Ahora Marina Baixa: Fancy Dress Party 2026 (20 Oct 2026) — checked 2026-10-21
- Ajuntament de Benidorm: Thousands of Britons fill the streets (13 Nov 2025) — checked 2026-10-21; photos on this page from the same release
- Ajuntament de Benidorm: new edition, 30,000 expected (27 Oct 2025) — checked 2026-10-21
- Visit Benidorm: Fancy Dress Party 2025 listing — checked 2026-10-21
- Ajuntament de Benidorm: about 40,000 participants (16 Nov 2023) — checked 2026-10-21
- Ajuntament de Benidorm: 25th anniversary (8 Nov 2022) — checked 2026-10-21
- Ajuntament de Benidorm: about 35,000 Britons (14 Nov 2019) — checked 2026-10-21
- Murcia Today: almost 45,000 at the 2022 party — checked 2026-10-21
- IBTimes: British Fancy Dress Day (2015) — checked 2026-10-21
- The Olive Press: parade route (17 Nov 2023) — checked 2026-10-21
- AlicantePlaza: Hosbec occupancy (2023) — checked 2026-10-21
- Eurochange: what to do in Benidorm in November — checked 2026-10-21
- Mara Boutique Apartments: Fancy Dress party guide — checked 2026-10-21
- benidormfancydressparty.com: street stage, Calle Gerona — checked 2026-10-21
- Benidorm Total: British Fancy Dress Party 2026 — checked 2026-10-21
- spanish-fiestas.com: Benidorm fiestas — checked 2026-10-21
- Funktion Events: Shamrock open bar — checked 2026-10-21
- costablanca.digital: past Fancy Dress dates — checked 2026-10-21