Culture, Events and Nightlife

Alicante keeps you entertained year-round, even if it's not exactly a major cultural hub. The bars and clubs in the city center pump out music in every season, with nightlife hitting its peak during summer, especially in August. It's a laid-back, open-minded city where everyone's welcome to join the party.

While the sports scene might be a bit thin on the ground, Alicante does have its own football team to cheer for. Throughout the year, you'll find a steady stream of annual festivals and events happening both in the city and the surrounding areas, there's almost always something going on.

Classical Music, Theater, Musicals and Other Performances

While Alicante might not be considered a major cultural hub, it's got several theaters where you can catch music performances, musicals, concerts and other shows. One of the main venues is the Teatro Principal, located in the modern city center. They've got a diverse program that includes Spanish-language theater productions and even puppet shows for kids.

Want to discover more theaters around the city and find out where they're located? You'll find plenty of info online.

Rock, pop, jazz and other entertainment

Alicante is a vibrant city all year round, and you'll find dozens of bars featuring live music and DJ sets. During summer, the city is practically bursting with live music thanks to various events and festivals. Just be careful when searching online though, many websites lump Alicante together with holiday resorts that are actually dozens of kilometers away from the city itself.

You'll find live music and other musical experiences especially in the old town, El Barrio, which offers diverse entertainment and activities in the evenings. The newer areas in the city center near the old town are also great for music lovers, particularly along San Francisco street and its surrounding streets. The area between San Francisco and the beach is known as La Zona, and it's a fantastic spot to spend your evening enjoying music throughout the year.

Sports: Football

If you're looking to catch some team sports action in Alicante, football (soccer for our American friends) is pretty much your only option. The local team, FC Hercules, plays at the Estadio José Rico Pérez stadium, which is conveniently located near the city center [on map]. The stadium holds 30,000 fans, but you'll usually have no trouble getting tickets. They're pretty affordable too. Getting there is a breeze, just hop in a taxi from anywhere in the Alicante area and you're good to go.

Religious Celebrations, Easter and Midsummer

The Alicante region really knows how to put on a show when it comes to two major religious celebrations: Easter and Midsummer. Easter festivities stretch across Holy Week and continue into the following week, while Midsummer celebrations happen around the summer solstice in June. Both occasions feature spectacular processions, with Alicante serving as the main hub for all the action during Midsummer.
If you're around during Easter, don't miss the chance to check out Alcoy, Elche, and Murcia as well. These Spanish cities are famous throughout the country for their incredibly impressive Easter celebrations.

Easter

Alicante pulls out all the stops for Holy Week, known locally as Semana Santa. The festivities kick off on Palm Sunday and build up to Easter Sunday. Throughout the week, religious brotherhoods organize their own processions along the Rambla, that tree-lined boulevard also known as Venia. Want the best views? Stake out a spot along the Rambla. The most spectacular parades happen on Palm Sunday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday.

Fiesta de San Jorge

Stick around Alicante in the weeks after Easter and you'll catch the wild Fiesta de San Jorge celebration – the exact dates depend on when Easter falls that year. This three-day party features parades galore, and it all culminates in a massive midnight bonfire where everything used in the festivities goes up in flames.

San Juan's Day

Spain celebrates its version of Midsummer in June with San Juan's Day. The party lasts three days, and while Spanish Midsummer is pretty different from the Finnish version, they do have one thing in common: bonfires. On Midsummer's Eve, or Noche de San Juan, all the decorations and props from the parades meet their fiery end in massive bonfires at midnight.

Other Events

Alicante hosts events and festivals year-round, and the nearby beach towns have plenty going on too. Take Benidorm, for instance, it's packed with events, including tango festivals in mid-April that tend to be a hit with Finnish visitors.

While Alicante might not have those must-see events that would make you plan an entire trip around them, there's still plenty to see and do. In December, you can browse the Christmas markets, for example. Before you head out, it's worth checking the events calendar to see what's happening in and around Alicante during your visit.

Nightlife

In Alicante, nightlife is woven into the fabric of the city throughout the year. During peak summer, especially in August, the city can be a bit overwhelming with the sweltering heat and crowds. While nearby beach destinations like Benidorm are magnets for party-seekers looking for wild nights out, plenty of them make their way to Alicante too. Outside the high season things calm down considerably, but Alicante still offers plenty of opportunities to head out for a nice dinner and a few drinks in the evening.

In Spain, beer is typically enjoyed with meals, and you'll often see signs advertising "caña + tapa" deals, that's a small beer paired with a tapa (usually a set option, not your choice). Some venues like nightclubs and casinos charge premium prices for drinks and have a less laid-back vibe compared to the traditional bars and restaurants in the old town and city center. International beer brands will set you back more than Spanish ones.

Draft beer comes in various sizes. The smallest is a caña (pronounced kan-ya), roughly 15-20 cl. About twice that size is a copa, sometimes called a doble, which is similar to a small pint. The jarra (pronounced har-ra) is your standard pint equivalent, usually half a liter but sometimes 0.4 liters. Less common but popular with Alicante's British crowd is the pinta, matching the British pint at 0.568 liters.

For nighttime atmosphere, head to El Barrio in the old town, particularly around Abad Penalva square [on map] near the San Nicolás church. This triangular area known as Santa Cruz encompasses several squares and streets packed with bars, restaurants, and terraces. Another hotspot for dining and evening entertainment is La Zona along San Fernando street [on map] behind the Esplanade. This area also houses some of the louder discos and nightclubs.

During summer, the Explanada de España promenade [on map] is a popular evening hangout spot between La Zona and the waterfront. The Esplanade is lined with terraces and often serves as a meeting point for the start of the evening. In the port area, the best spots for dinner and partying are found at the Marina yacht harbor. The stretch along Muelle Levante [on map] in particular is home to venues that keep the party going until dawn every night of the year.