Once a year, a few streets of Benidorm’s Rincón de Loix disappear under floats, feathers, superheroes and inflatable everything. The Benidorm Fancy Dress Party is due on Thursday 12 November 2026, the day after the town’s main patron saint fiestas end. Benidorm’s city council calls it possibly the largest costume party in Europe, and more than 30,000 people took part in 2025. Here is how the day works, where to be, and what to plan before you go.
Benidorm Fancy Dress 2026: Key Details
The party is a one-day street event in Benidorm‘s Rincón de Loix entertainment area, built around a mid-afternoon float parade and running well into the night. The essentials, checked in September 2026:
Date: Thursday 12 November 2026 (the council’s official 2026 programme was not yet published when this was checked)
Where: Rincón de Loix, centred on Calle Gerona, Calle Lepanto and Calle Mallorca
Main event: parade of floats, with dance groups and batucada bands
Size: more than 30,000 people in 2025
Edition: 2025 was the 31st, on the council’s count
Entry: the party is held on public streets, so the main event is not ticketed. Individual bars and hotels may run their own paid or reserved events.
When Is Benidorm Fancy Dress 2026?
The party is always held on the Thursday immediately after the Festes Majors Patronals finish. In 2026 the Festes Majors Patronals run from Friday 6 to Wednesday 11 November, which puts the Fancy Dress Party on Thursday 12 November.
Because it follows the fiestas rather than a fixed date, it moves from year to year. It was held on Thursday 17 November in 2022, Thursday 14 November in 2024 and Thursday 13 November in 2025.
What Happens on the Day
The day starts early and stays busy. Costumed visitors are in the area’s bars from the morning, and in 2025 the council reported that the party got going from 2 pm, with the local police closing Gerona and Lepanto streets to traffic from around 11 am. Vehicle access controls covering the area between Mallorca, Gerona and Lepanto streets were in place from midday.
The parade is the centrepiece. It has started mid-afternoon in recent years, at 3 pm in 2023 and 4 pm in 2022 according to council reports, so check the final 2026 time closer to the date. The celebration continues well into the night, with more than fifty leisure and hospitality venues in Rincón de Loix taking part in 2025.
In 2025, organisers also ran smaller events on the two days after the main party, to encourage visitors to stay longer. The same pattern is likely in 2026, but it is unconfirmed.
The Float Parade
The parade runs along Calle Gerona and is organised by local businesses. Floats are joined by dance groups, batucadas and other street entertainment.
The number of floats changes each year. Council reports put it at more than 20 in 2019, up to 18 in 2022, and about 15 in 2025. Around 30 were announced for 2024.
The Story Behind the Party
The party began as a very informal idea. It was started by local businessman Manuel Nieto and grew from a gathering among friends, with British visitors at the centre, into the event it is today. It is now organised by the hotels and entertainment venues of Rincón de Loix together with the Abreca-Cobreca business associations and the city council.
The crowd is changing too. The council says a growing number of Spanish attendees from Benidorm and nearby towns now join in, alongside Belgian and Dutch visitors, though the crowd is still mostly British. According to a 2024 report, the party has been cancelled only four times: twice because of the pandemic and twice because of bad weather.
Getting There and Around
Rincón de Loix is Benidorm’s main leisure district, and the English Square sits at its heart. With streets closing and crowds building through the afternoon, walking is the practical way to move around once you are there. Leave the car outside the area.
If you are arriving from further afield, the guide to public transport on the Costa Blanca covers buses and trains. The Alicante–Elche Airport is the main gateway for visitors flying in.
What to Wear
Costumes are the whole point, and most people in the streets are in one. Anything goes, from group outfits to elaborate one-offs. Since you will be on your feet for hours, comfort matters more than authenticity: choose shoes you can walk in all day and an outfit you can move and sit in.
November weather on the coast can be changeable, so pack a layer that works over a costume. The guide to Costa Blanca weather through the year explains what autumn usually brings.
Staying Safe and Planning Ahead
The council describes the event as taking place in an open area where the public joins gradually, which makes security planning complex. In 2025 the Events and Citizen Security departments worked on it for nearly three months. The Local Police were reinforced by around thirty additional officers, and health services, Civil Protection and the Fire Department followed a special protocol. The council reported no conflictive interventions.
Sensible steps for visitors: agree a meeting point with your group in case you get separated, carry only what you need, and keep phones charged for the evening.
Where to Stay and When to Book
Many visitors plan their trip months ahead specifically for this party, according to the council, so accommodation in and around Rincón de Loix fills early. If you want to stay within walking distance, book well before November.
Beyond the Party: Benidorm in Fiesta Week
The Fancy Dress Party is the last big moment of a busy season in the city. The week before it, the Festes Majors Patronals fill the town with peñas, fireworks and the local float parade. Before that, Benidorm’s Moros y Cristianos takes over the old town in early October, and the full year is mapped out in the Benidorm Festivity Calendar 2026.
If you are staying a few days, Benidorm’s Old Town and the Balcón del Mediterráneo are the best way to see a quieter side of the city. For a longer list, see the top things to do in Benidorm.