Christmas in Alicante 2026–2027: markets, the giant Nativity scene, New Year’s Eve and the Three Kings

We checked the dates and times below on 19 October 2026. Our sources were the websites of Alicante City Council, the Generalitat (the Valencian regional government) and TRAM d’Alacant. The City Council publishes its Christmas programme in the second half of November, and last year it came out on 19 November. Until it appears, we describe how things worked in the 2025–2026 season and say so in the text. Once the 2026 programme is out, we will update the article.

Alicante holiday calendar 2026–2027

Public holidays are set by the Generalitat. The days without classes in the city’s schools were agreed in summer 2026 by the education authorities, on a proposal from the city’s school council. This year 6 December falls on a Sunday, and the Valencian Community does not move the holiday to the Monday. Schoolchildren still get a long weekend. There are no classes in Alicante schools on 7 December, so children are off from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December. The regional winter holidays run from 22 December to 6 January. In Alicante they effectively start on the 19th, because Monday 21 December is also a day off school.

Alicante’s own local holidays fall in spring and summer. In 2027 they are 8 April and 24 June. The first is the day of the pilgrimage to the Santa Faz monastery, the second the main day of the Hogueras de San Juan bonfire festival. Neither affects the winter break.

Christmas markets in Alicante: dates and opening hours

Last season the city’s Christmas market (Mercado de Navidad) stood in the centre, on Federico Soto boulevard, from 1 December to 6 January. It opened from 10:00 to 15:00 and from 17:00 to 23:00. On 5 January, the eve of Three Kings Day, it opened at 17:00 and traded until midnight, when parents pick up the last presents.

The funfair stays the longest. Locals call it the feria de los caballitos, the “little horses” fair. Last time it ran from 28 November to 18 January at the Recinto Ferial de Rabasa fairground. On weekdays it opened from 17:00 to midnight, on Fridays, Saturdays and the eve of holidays until 1:00, and on Sundays and holidays from 11:00. From 20 December to 6 January the rides ran every day from 11:00 to 1:00.

Little ones have their own children’s fair on Plaza Séneca. In the 2025–2026 season it ran from 30 November to 7 January. Until 20 December it opened at 17:00 on weekdays, and in the mornings as well at weekends and on holidays. From 21 December it opened every day from 10:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 21:30. On 24 and 31 December it opened only in the morning, until 14:30. On 25 December and 1 January it opened only in the evening, from 17:00 to 21:30.

For grown-ups, last year the City Council ran the Tardeos Navideños in the Plaza de Toros bullring. A tardeo is a Spanish party that starts in the afternoon. From 4 to 31 December, Thursday to Sunday, plus 8 and 24 December, there was live music and DJs from 16:00, until 1:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.

Christmas lights, the tree and a Guinness record Nativity scene

Last year Alicante switched on its Christmas lights on Friday 21 November at 19:00 on the pedestrianised avenida de la Constitución. Around 4,000 people came to watch. By the City Council’s count, 2.6 million LED lights came on in 130 locations, from the centre to the beaches and outlying districts. In the centre the garlands all shone in one warm champagne colour. An 18-metre Christmas tree went up on the same avenida de la Constitución.

Six giant angels were placed around the city. They stood on General Marvá boulevard, on the roundabouts by the university and on Gran Vía, and on Plaza San Cristóbal. Others were by the Plaza de Toros bullring and in Albufereta, where avenida Costa Blanca meets avenida Condomina. Canalejas park had another tree, a 13-metre tree attraction. It opened from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 22:00, and until 20:00 on 24 and 31 December.

Alicante’s best-known Christmas sight is on the City Hall square, Plaza del Ayuntamiento. This is the Belén Monumental, a giant Nativity scene (belén). Since 2020 it has held the Guinness World Record for the largest nativity scene figurines. Together the figures measure 56.02 metres, twice as much as the previous record holder in Monterrey, Mexico. They are made by the artist José Manuel García, known as Pachi. In the 2025–2026 season the three Kings stood beside the Holy Family, six figures in all. The Nativity scene opened on 23 November with a light show, and the square was closed to traffic until 7 January.

There are many more Nativity scenes around the city. The Asociación de Belenistas, the association of Nativity scene makers, sets up a large biblical belén in the City Hall lobby. It also builds four scenes on Plaza Montañeta, two biblical and two showing everyday life. The Holy Week brotherhoods show their Nativity scene in the El Portalet palace at calle Labradores, 15. Last season it opened Tuesday to Friday from 10:30 to 14:00 and from 18:00 to 21:00, and until 14:00 at weekends and on holidays. The Museo de Belenes, the Nativity scene museum, is at calle San Agustín, 3. Under last season’s programme it opened Tuesday to Friday, from 10:30 to 13:30 and from 17:15 to 19:30. Last winter there were also Nativity scenes in the Diputación (provincial council) building, at the Adif railway station and in the Gran Vía shopping centre.

Alicante at Christmas with kids

St Nicholas is Alicante’s patron saint, and before Christmas he has his own little house on Plaza Séneca, the Casita de San Nicolás. Last season it opened at midday on 29 November and stayed open until 24 December. Visits are by appointment only. In 2025 booking opened on 20 November at 10:00 on the City Council’s website, citaprevia.alicante.es.

After Christmas, children head to the Royal Postmen’s camp, the Campamento de los Carteros Reales, on Plaza Gabriel Miró. This is where they bring their letters to the Three Kings. In 2025–2026 the camp was open from 26 December to 4 January, and booking opened on 18 December on the same website. On the evening of 4 January the Kings’ postmen parade through the city themselves. Last time the procession set off at 18:00 from Plaza España towards the Rambla, and children’s letters were collected at the end of the route.

On 31 December children get a New Year of their own. Last year the children’s party ran from 10:30 to 13:30 where the Rambla, the main avenue in the centre, meets Portal de Elche square. There were inflatable slides and shows, and at 12:00 the children had a rehearsal of the midnight chimes.

During the holidays a free Christmas bus runs between the festive spots. Last season it ran from 22 December to 6 January, from 9:00 to 22:30, roughly every 10 minutes. The route and stops are published by the operator, Vectalia, on alicante.vectalia.es.

Local traditions: St Nicholas, a Christmas bonfire and a sea swim

Alicante celebrates St Nicholas’ Day on 6 December. Last year there was Mass at San Nicolás cathedral at 10:30 and a procession from Plaza Abad Penalva at 11:45. At 18:30 a Moors and Christians parade (Entrada de Moros y Cristianos) went from Plaza Luceros along the Rambla to City Hall.

Alicante’s Hogueras bonfires do not only burn in June. The bonfire federation builds a Christmas sculpture to be burnt, Fogueres en Nadal, on Plaza Montañeta. In 2025 it was put together on 18 December and burnt on the 21st. A few days earlier, on 13 and 14 December, the same federation held a Christmas carol (villancico) contest on avenida de la Constitución.

Last year, on Sunday 21 December at 9:30, the Travesía de Navidad Christmas swim started from Postiguet beach. On 26 December at 19:30 runners set off from the Rambla de Méndez Núñez in the San Silvestre charity race.

For the Christmas table, Alicante buys turrón, a Spanish almond nougat, from neighbouring Xixona (Jijona in Spanish), half an hour away by car. According to the European Commission, the town makes around 60% of all the turrón in Spain. Since 1996 two local kinds have had protected IGP status. Soft Turrón de Jijona is made with finely ground almonds, and hard Turrón de Alicante has chopped almonds and wafer sheets. Both contain at least 10% local honey.

New Year’s Eve in Alicante

The city’s New Year’s Eve party is held in the same place as the children’s one, where the Rambla de Méndez Núñez meets Portal de Elche. Last New Year’s Eve it ran from 23:00 to 4:00, with free entry, free grapes for luck and live music. The City Council announces the programme for the night in December.

At midnight Spaniards eat twelve grapes, one on each stroke of the clock. Our article “Christmas in Valencia 2026–2027” covers this tradition in detail, along with the grapes from the nearby Vinalopó valley that ripen on the vine in paper bags.

Close to the party, on the corner of calle Cándida Jimeno Gargallo and calle Bailén, the City Council sets up a Punto Violeta (“violet point”). You can go there if someone is harassing or threatening you. Last year it was open from 19:00 on 31 December to 5:00 the next morning.

The easiest way home is the tram. Last New Year’s Eve, for the second year running, TRAM d’Alacant ran extra services on lines 1–4, all to and from Luceros station:

• L1 to Benidorm: a train from Luceros at 0:19 and back from Benidorm at 1:50, stopping at all stations.
• L2 to San Vicente del Raspeig: every 30 minutes from 23:54 to 1:54, and back until 2:24.
• L3 to El Campello: extra services from 23:19 to 3:19, and back from 22:10 to 2:40.
• L4 to Plaça de La Coruña: every 30 minutes from 22:59 to 1:59, and back from 23:30 to 2:30.

On 1 January the first trams ran at around six in the morning, with the first L1 leaving Luceros at 6:04. TRAM announces its New Year’s Eve timetable in the last days of December. Check tramalacant.es or call the free line on 900 72 04 72.

5 and 6 January: the Three Kings in Alicante

Spanish children get their presents on the morning of 6 January, from the Three Kings: Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar. On the evening of the 5th the Kings arrive in town, and Alicante welcomes them three times in one evening.

In January 2026 they arrived by sea at around 17:00, at the Escaleritas de la Reina steps in the port, and greeted children on the quay. Then they went on to the Plaza de Toros bullring, where a children’s show started at 17:00 and the Kings came out at 18:00. Entry to the bullring was by invitation, and the City Council gives details on alicante.es. The Cabalgata de Reyes parade set off just after 19:00 from avenida de la Estación, by the Diputación building. It finished at around 21:25 on the City Hall square, where the Kings spoke to the children from a stage by the entrance.

By the City Council’s count, the parade had 1,300 participants and 25 floats. The floats handed out 20,000 presents and 10 tonnes of sweets, and around 55,000 people watched.

Paid seats are set out along the route. Last season there were around 8,000 of them. Sales opened on 26 December at 10:00, with 60% on vivaticket.es and the rest at the Plaza de Toros box office. There were 1,700 new seats on the extended stretch from the start of the route to Plaza Luceros. If you want a seat, buy on the first day of sales.

Neighbourhoods hold their own Three Kings parades too. Last year on 5 January they ran at 18:30 in Villafranqueza and Ciudad Jardín and at 19:00 in Albufereta, and on 6 January at 19:00 in Verdegás. On the morning of the 6th the Kings visited Cañada del Fenollar.

For breakfast on 6 January people buy a roscón de Reyes, a sweet bread ring with a small figurine baked inside. Every bakery sells them, and a good one should be ordered a few days ahead.

What is open in Alicante over the holidays

Most shops are closed on 8 and 25 December and 1 January. The Generalitat has allowed shops to open on Sundays 13, 20 and 27 December 2026. For 2027 the Commerce Observatory (Observatorio del Comercio) has proposed opening on Sunday 3 January, and the final decision rests with the Generalitat.

The Mercado Central, the main food market, is open Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 14:30, and on Saturdays and the day before holidays until 15:00. Before Christmas the City Council extends the hours. In 2025 the city’s markets stayed open until 17:00 on 23 December.

Santa Bárbara Castle is closed on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 and 6 January. On other winter days, from 15 November to 27 February, it is open from 10:00 to 18:00, and entry is free. A paid lift takes you up from avenida Juan Bautista Lafora, opposite Postiguet beach. There is also a CSB shuttle bus for €1.45, payable only by card or with a bonobús travel pass.

The MARQ archaeological museum is open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 19:00 and on Sundays and holidays until 14:00. It is closed on Mondays. To check whether it opens on 25 December and 1 January, phone 965 149 000.

The Rabasa funfair and the children’s fair on Plaza Séneca stay open over the holidays, with the hours given above. Tram and bus timetables change on public holidays, so check tramalacant.es and alicante.vectalia.es before you travel.

Alicante weather in December and at New Year

According to the climate averages of AEMET, the Spanish state weather agency, December days in Alicante average 17.7 °C and nights 7.4 °C. It rains on about four days a month, and the sun shines for 164 hours. January is a little cooler, at 17 °C by day and 6.3 °C at night. Bring a jacket for New Year’s Eve by the sea.

Day trips out of the city

Our guide to Christmas in Valencia covers how the neighbouring city celebrates, with its market around Mercado Central and New Year’s Eve on Plaza del Ayuntamiento.

The Canelobre caves near the village of Busot are 26 km from central Alicante, on the way to Xixona. That makes the caves and turrón an easy day out together. From September to June the caves are closed on Mondays, and you can check the hours for 25 December and 1 January on turismobusot.com. Xixona holds its Christmas fair (Fira de Nadal) over the December long weekend. In 2025 it ran from 4 to 8 December, and the 2026 dates will appear on feriadenavidad.es.

The park at the Algar waterfalls, beyond Benidorm, is open until 15:30 in winter. It is closed on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 and 6 January. The white town of Altea is about 40 minutes from Alicante by car and has good places for a long lunch.

Up the coast, Benidorm sees in the New Year on the Levante promenade, with fireworks over the sea and Big Ben at 1:00 for the British crowd. Our guide to New Year’s Eve and Christmas in Benidorm also covers the Plaza de la Navidad and its ice rink.

Frequently asked questions

What happens on New Year’s Eve in Alicante?

The whole city celebrates outdoors. Last year the party with live music and free grapes ran from 23:00 to 4:00 where the Rambla meets Portal de Elche. At midnight people eat twelve grapes to the chimes of the clock, and the TRAM runs until late into the night.

When and where is the Alicante Christmas market?

Last season the city Christmas market stood on Federico Soto boulevard from 1 December to 6 January. The funfair is at the Recinto Ferial de Rabasa, and the children’s fair is on Plaza Séneca. The City Council will announce the 2026 dates in November.

Where is the giant Nativity scene in Alicante?

On the City Hall square, Plaza del Ayuntamiento. Guinness World Records lists it as the Nativity scene with the largest figures in the world, which together stand 56.02 metres tall. Last season it opened on 23 November and was taken down after 7 January.

When is the Three Kings parade in Alicante, and how do I get a seat?

On the evening of 5 January. In January 2026 the Cabalgata de Reyes set off at around 19:00 from avenida de la Estación and finished by City Hall at around 21:25. Seats along the route go on sale from 26 December on vivaticket.es and at the Plaza de Toros box office.

Which days are public holidays in Alicante over Christmas and New Year?

The public holidays are 8 and 25 December 2026 and 1 and 6 January 2027. Alicante schools also have no classes on 7 and 21 December, and the regional school holidays run from 22 December to 6 January.

What is open in Alicante on Christmas Day?

Christmas Day is a public holiday across Spain, and most shops are closed. Santa Bárbara Castle is closed too, and for MARQ it is best to phone 965 149 000 first. Last season the Rabasa funfair ran from 11:00 to 1:00, and the children’s fair on Plaza Séneca opened in the evening, from 17:00 to 21:30. Trams and buses run to holiday timetables.

What is the weather like in Alicante in December?

According to AEMET averages, December days are around 18 °C and nights around 7 °C, with about four rainy days. It is cool by the sea on New Year’s Eve, so bring a jacket. The air is warm in the daytime, but few people swim in December. The hardiest go in for the Travesía de Navidad Christmas swim, held at Postiguet beach on 21 December 2025.

What is there to do in Alicante with kids at Christmas?

See the record-breaking Nativity scene on the City Hall square, visit St Nicholas’ house on Plaza Séneca (by appointment) and the Royal Postmen’s camp on Plaza Gabriel Miró. Also try the children’s fair and the 13-metre tree attraction in Canalejas park. On 31 December a daytime children’s New Year party takes place on the Rambla.

Sources

• Alicante City Council (Ayuntamiento de Alicante): Christmas programme 2025–2026 (PDF), “Alicante vive una Navidad Gigante” (19.11.2025), Christmas lights switch-on (21.11.2025), installation of the Belén Monumental (17.11.2025), Guinness World Record (01.12.2020), seats for the Cabalgata (12.12.2025), Cabalgata 2026 in numbers (06.01.2026), municipal market hours (02.12.2025), local holidays 2027 (30.07.2026), Alicante school calendar 2026–2027, Sunday and holiday shop opening 2027, Castillo de Santa Bárbara
• Generalitat Valenciana: public holidays 2026 (DOGV no. 10145), public holidays 2027 (DOGV no. 10329), Sunday shop opening 2026 (DOGV no. 10196), school calendar 2026–2027, TRAM d’Alacant on New Year’s Eve 2025
• MARQ: opening hours
• European Commission: Turrón de Alicante IGP
• AEMET: 1981–2010 climate averages for Alicante
• Fira de Nadal de Xixona