Benidorm New Year’s Eve and Christmas 2026–2027: Levante beach, ice rink and Three Kings

We checked the dates, times and addresses below against the websites of Benidorm City Council, the Generalitat Valenciana and TRAM d’Alacant on 19 October 2026. The council usually presents its Christmas programme, BeniNadal, in the second half of November, and in 2025 it did so on 21 November. Until it is out, we describe how things worked last winter and say so each time. At the end of November we will check the text against the new programme and update the dates.

At a glance: Benidorm’s holiday calendar 2026–2027

Constitution Day, 6 December, falls on a Sunday this year, and the Monday after it is a normal working day. Benidorm holds its own main fiestas in November, so over Christmas and New Year only the regional public holidays of the Valencian Community apply.

Plaza de la Navidad: Benidorm’s Christmas market, ice rink and Nativity scenes

Christmas in Benidorm centres on the town hall. From late November to 6 January the square in front of it, Plaza de SS. MM. los Reyes de España, next to l’Aigüera park, is renamed Plaza de la Navidad. The council’s festival calendar for 2026 puts the opening on Saturday 28 November.

Last winter the first evening went like this. At 18:00 Father Christmas (Papá Noel) opened his house, the Casa de la Navidad, in the l’Hort de Colón house museum. At 19:00 the town’s Christmas lights were switched on in the square, with fireworks, confetti and a children’s show by the singer Gisela. Until January the square had a large ice rink, children’s rides and stalls selling food and gifts. At first the programme ran at weekends, then every day once the school holidays began. The council posts the day-by-day programme on benidorm.org, under BeniNadal.

There will be more lights this year. In September the council signed a new contract for the festive lighting, which will reach more streets, squares and parks, including Els Tolls, Foietes-Colonia Madrid, the town centre, La Cala and Rincón de Loix. All of it is LED or low-energy. The lights put up for the November fiestas stay in place, and the Christmas ones are added to them.

There are two large Nativity scenes (belenes) in town. One stands in Plaza de la Navidad itself, and last season it opened on 6 December. The other is built by the La Barqueta association at its premises on calle Tomás Ortuño. It has almost 400 figures, some of them moving, with Herod’s castle and craftsmen at work. By tradition it opens on 8 December at 18:00, and last winter it was open until 6 January, from 10:00 to 13:00 and from 17:00 to 21:00. Both are free to visit.

Benidorm at Christmas with kids

Father Christmas meets children at the Casa de la Navidad in l’Hort de Colón. Last season he was there on 29 and 30 November, from 6 to 8 December, and from 12 to 14 and 19 to 23 December, from 12:00 to 14:00 and from 18:00 to 20:00. Children can hand him their letters in person.

Letters to the Three Kings go to the Royal Postman, the Cartero Real. In January 2026 he was in Plaza de la Navidad on 2, 3 and 4 January from 18:00, and from 17:00 on the Saturday. From 2 to 5 January the Kings’ camp, the Campamento de los Reyes Magos, stood in the gardens by the town hall, and children could visit it before the Kings themselves arrived.

On 31 December the celebrations start at midday. In 2025 the town’s festival committee ran a family party in Plaza de la Navidad from 11:00. At 12:00 came the Precampanadas, a rehearsal of the midnight chimes for children, with sweets instead of grapes. If your child won’t last until midnight, this can be their New Year.

During the school holidays the Centro Cultural puts on children’s shows. Last winter the magician Mago Hugo performed on 26 December, and the musical “Coco” had two shows on 27 December. Tickets were sold on ofertaentradas.com and vivaticket.es.

New Year’s Eve in Benidorm: the party on Levante beach

The big night is on Paseo de Levante, the promenade along Levante beach. The party is organised by Abreca, the town’s association of bars and restaurants, together with the council, and 2025 was its ninth year. The programme for 31 December is announced in the last days of December, so here is how last year’s night worked.

The stage was where Paseo de Levante meets Avenida de Bilbao. DJs played from 18:00, and the beachfront bars handed out grapes, party hats and noisemakers (cotillón). Just before midnight the big screens showed the chimes from Puerta del Sol in Madrid, and at around 00:15 fireworks set to music went up over the beach. At 1:00 Spanish time, when it is midnight in London, the screens switched to the BBC and Big Ben. The council does this for British visitors, who, it says, come in growing numbers to see the New Year in. In practice you get to celebrate twice, once at Spanish midnight and again with the UK.

Entry is free and you do not need a ticket. In previous years the council expected around 10,000 people. The speakers face the sea so as not to disturb people living nearby.

There are other options too. Last winter the restaurants on calle Santo Domingo in the old town held two daytime parties with DJs, “Tardebuena” on 24 December and “Tardevieja” on 31 December, both from 12:30. On the evening of 31 December there was also music in Plaza de la Navidad from 22:00, with grapes and cotillón on sale at low prices.

Gala dinners with shows at hotels, restaurants and Benidorm Palace are sold by the venues themselves. We do not list New Year’s Eve prices because they change every year. Check the venues’ websites and book early.

New Year’s Day can start with music as well. On 1 January 2026 at 19:00 the symphony orchestra of the Unión Musical de Benidorm gave a New Year concert at the Centro Cultural. The hall was full, and as in Vienna the evening ended with the Radetzky March.

Getting there and back on New Year’s Eve

If you live along the tram line, the TRAM d’Alacant is the easiest option. Last New Year’s Eve line 1 ran an extra train from Benidorm to Alicante at 1:50. In the other direction, the last train from Alicante (Luceros station) to Benidorm left at 00:19, stopping at every station, including El Campello, Villajoyosa and Finestrat. On the morning of 1 January the first train from Benidorm to Alicante left at 7:05. Line 9, towards Altea and Dénia, had no extra night trains. TRAM publishes the timetable for the night in the last days of December on tramalacant.es, and its free information line is 900 72 04 72.

5 January: the Three Kings parade in Benidorm

The Three Kings parade, the Cabalgata de Reyes, takes place on the evening of 5 January, with around a thousand people taking part: ten floats, five dance groups and the town’s bands. The first part is light-hearted, with characters from children’s films and TV series. The second tells the story of the Three Kings to the suite “Los Reyes Magos”, written for the parade by the Benidorm composer Francisco José Rovira Peretó.

The council will announce the 2027 time and route in early January, and for now its festival calendar gives only the date. For the last two years the council announced the same route:

• At 18:00 the parade sets off from Parque de Elche.
• It continues along Avenida de Los Almendros and the streets Marte, Venus, Ruzafa and Herrerías, through Plaza de SS. MM. los Reyes de España and l’Aigüera park.
• It ends at the open-air stage of the Auditorio Julio Iglesias, with a multimedia show and fireworks, and the Kings hand out presents to the children.

If rain is forecast for 5 January, the parade may be moved. That is what happened in 2026: it rained all day, and the Kings were welcomed with a shorter programme inside the Palau d’Esports l’Illa sports hall. The doors opened at 17:00, and free buses ran from several stops in town. On the evening of 5 January, check the news on benidorm.org and the council’s social media.

The same evening the l’Ermita de Sanz neighbourhood holds its own parade. What the Three Kings bring, why children leave their shoes out and what the roscón ring cake eaten on 6 January is, we explain in our guide to Christmas in Valencia 2026–2027.

What’s open in Benidorm on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

In Benidorm the shops open on Sundays too. The town is classed as an area of high tourist demand, so from 15 June to 5 January shops may open on Sundays and public holidays, including 8 December. The exceptions are 25 December, 1 January and 6 January, when the shops are shut. Buy bread and food for the festive table the day before. Bars and restaurants in the tourist areas stay open over the holidays, and people book their Christmas lunch well ahead.

Be careful with day trips on these dates. The Algar waterfalls are closed on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 and 6 January. The Canelobre cave opens from 10:30 to 17:50 on public holidays from September to June, but hours on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day may differ, so check turismobusot.com. For tram times on public holidays, see tramalacant.es or the TRAM app.

Benidorm in December: weather and things to do

December here is mild. AEMET’s long-term averages for its Alicante weather station give 17.7°C by day and 7.4°C at night in December, about four rainy days in the month and 164 hours of sunshine. January is about a degree cooler. A jumper is enough for walks during the day, but you will want a jacket by the sea in the evening.

Before Christmas the San Silvestre fun run, with fancy dress, goes along the Levante promenade. In 2025 it was held on Sunday 21 December at 10:00: six kilometres, starting and finishing on Avenida de Europa. You could run, walk or do Nordic walking, and there were separate races for children. In 2025 the date was announced on 2 December, so keep an eye on council news from the start of the month.

For mountains and sea over the holidays, the Mascarat canyon and the Greenwich marina make a good day trip. And if you want to compare with a big city, our separate guide covers Christmas and New Year in Valencia, with the market at Mercado Central and the Three Kings arriving by sea.

Down the coast in Alicante, the Nativity scene outside the City Hall holds the Guinness record for the tallest figures in the world, and New Year’s Eve is a free street party on the Rambla. Our guide to Christmas in Alicante has the dates and the tram times.

Frequently asked questions

Is Benidorm good for New Year’s Eve?

It has a large free party on Levante beach, with DJs from the evening, the Spanish chimes on big screens, fireworks over the sea after midnight and Big Ben at 1:00 for British visitors. The council says more and more British visitors choose Benidorm to see the New Year in.

Where is the New Year’s Eve party in Benidorm?

On Paseo de Levante, where it meets Avenida de Bilbao. Last year it started at 18:00 and entry was free. There was also music from 22:00 in Plaza de la Navidad by the town hall.

What time are the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Benidorm?

Last year the fireworks over Levante beach started at around 00:15, just after the chimes. At 1:00 Spanish time the screens showed Big Ben for midnight in the UK. The 2026 times will be announced in late December.

Do you need tickets for New Year’s Eve in Benidorm?

Not for the main party on Paseo de Levante, which is free. You only need tickets for gala dinners and shows at hotels, restaurants and Benidorm Palace, and the venues sell those themselves.

Is there a Christmas market and ice rink in Benidorm?

Yes, in Plaza de la Navidad, the square in front of the town hall, with an ice rink, children’s rides and stalls selling food and gifts. In 2026 it opens on 28 November and runs until 6 January.

When is the Three Kings parade in Benidorm?

On the evening of 5 January. In 2025 and 2026 the council set the start for 18:00 at Parque de Elche, with the finish at the Auditorio Julio Iglesias in l’Aigüera park, although in 2026 rain moved the parade to the Palau d’Esports. The 2027 time will be announced in early January.

What is the weather like in Benidorm in December?

Based on AEMET averages for Alicante, about 18°C by day and 7°C at night, with around four rainy days in the month. It is sunny, but you will need a jacket by the sea in the evening.

What’s open in Benidorm on Christmas Day?

The shops are shut on 25 December and 1 January, so buy food the day before. Bars and restaurants in the tourist areas are open, and it is worth booking Christmas lunch. The Algar waterfalls are closed on both days.

Sources

• Benidorm City Council (Ayuntamiento de Benidorm): New Year’s Eve on Levante beach, 2025, New Year’s Eve, 2023, 31 December party in Plaza de la Navidad, BeniNadal 2025 programme, Plaza de la Navidad opening, 2025, Christmas lights contract, 2026, 2026 festival calendar (PDF), Festes Majors Patronals 2026, Three Kings parade, 2026, parade moved to the Palau d’Esports, Three Kings parade, 2025, La Barqueta Nativity scene, San Silvestre 2025, New Year concert, 2026, shop opening rules for 2026 (PDF)
• Generalitat Valenciana: public holidays 2026 (DOGV no. 10145, 7 July 2025), public holidays 2027 (DOGV no. 10329, 25 March 2026), school calendar 2026–2027
• TRAM d’Alacant: New Year’s Eve trains, 2025
• AEMET: 1981–2010 climate averages for Alicante