If you want the main dates first, the strongest confirmed anchors in Benissa in 2026 are the Visita del Paje Real on 2 January, the Reyes Magos celebration on 5 January, the Fira i Porrat Sant Antoni from 16 to 25 January, the gastronomic event Essència Putxero de Polp on 28 February, the Mona de Pasqua experiences on 28 March and 4 April, and Benissa’s two official local holidays for 2026: 27 April (Día del Riberer) and 29 June (Moros y Cristianos).
📅 Benissa Festivity Calendar 2026
Benissa has one of those calendars that works best when you do not try to force it into a generic “big summer events only” format. The town’s official tourism pages make it clear that Benissa’s festive identity is built around a mix of traditional religious celebrations, patron fiestas, Moros y Cristianos, Sant Antoni, neighbourhood and rural district fiestas, and local gastronomy. That gives the town a calendar with more depth than many visitors expect.
Our tip: for Benissa, the smart approach is to separate firm 2026 dates already published in the agenda from the major annual fiestas that are clearly part of the local tradition but still waiting for the final 2026 programme. That way the page stays useful and trustworthy instead of turning into recycled filler.
January in Benissa 🎉
January is a strong start in Benissa. The town already has the Visita del Paje Real confirmed for 2 January 2026, followed by the arrival of the Reyes Magos on 5 January 2026. These are classic family dates and among the first big festive moments of the year in the historic centre.
Then comes one of Benissa’s clearest annual highlights: the Fira i Porrat Sant Antoni, officially scheduled from 16 to 25 January 2026. The programme includes attractions, market-style activity, exhibitions, cinema, concerts and family events, which makes it one of the broadest and most visible celebrations in the town’s winter calendar.
February in Benissa 🎭
February keeps the calendar alive with a mix of culture and food. The official agenda already lists the Teatro Musical Festers Puríssima Xiqueta 2026 – “Benissa a Bailar” from 20 to 22 February, and the gastronomic event Essència Putxero de Polp de Benissa on 28 February 2026. That second one matters because Benissa’s calendar is not only built around parades and religious acts — gastronomy is clearly part of the town’s event identity too.
March and April in Benissa ✝️
Spring is where Benissa starts to feel especially local. The official agenda already confirms two Mona de Pasqua experiential visits on 28 March and 4 April 2026, focused on local heritage and the tradition of making and tasting the Easter mona. These are smaller than a major patron fiesta, but they fit Benissa very well because they connect food, tradition and the town centre in a way that feels genuinely rooted.
Benissa also has its own Semana de Pasión y Semana Santa cycle, and the tourism agenda already has the 2025 Holy Week page live as a clear annual reference. For 2026, the overall Holy Week period falls between 29 March and 5 April, but the full standalone Benissa programme for 2026 had not yet surfaced in the official agenda when this guide was prepared, so this is one of those sections that should be refreshed once published.
The big spring fiesta in Benissa: Puríssima Xiqueta 🌸
If there is one celebration that really defines Benissa’s identity, it is the Fiestas en honor a la Puríssima Xiqueta. The official fiestas page states that Benissa celebrates its major patron festivities every year from the fourth Sunday of April, and the 2025 edition ran from 25 April to 4 May. The town’s two key hallmarks during this fiesta cycle are devotion to the patron saint and a packed agenda that includes acts such as the coronation, procession, flower offering, riberers, fadrins, concerts, fireworks and mascletás.
For 2026, the strongest fixed anchor here is 27 April, which is officially listed as Día del Riberer, one of Benissa’s local holidays. That makes late April the key period to watch for the town’s biggest patron-fiesta atmosphere, even if the final 2026 programme still needed publication at the time of checking.
June in Benissa ⚔️
June is another major pillar of the Benissa calendar because it leads into the Fiestas de Moros y Cristianos. The official tourism page says these celebrations take over the streets every year on the weekend closest to 29 June, the feast of San Pedro, and highlights their parades, theatrical acts and strong musical component. The same page also notes that the fiesta was declared of provincial tourist interest in 2018.
For 2026, the town already has 29 June confirmed as a local holiday for Moros y Cristianos, which gives us the strongest official date anchor even before the full 2026 programme is released. There are also already agenda traces pointing toward the 2026 cycle, such as the listing for Tardeo filadas capitanas Moros y Cristianos 2026, which shows pre-fiesta activity is already being framed in the municipal agenda.
Summer fiestas in Benissa ☀️
One of the best things about Benissa is that summer is not only one event. The official Fiestas de Barrios y Partidas page lays it out clearly: Benissa’s neighbourhood and rural district celebrations run from June to August and include acts in places such as Pla dels Molins, Barrio de San Antonio, Pedramala, Benimarco, Santa Anna, Lleus, Pinos, Playa de la Fustera, Berdica, Benimarraig and Benimallunt.
Some of these already have strong recent references that help us understand the likely shape of 2026. The Fiestas de Pinos ran from 1 to 3 August 2025, and the Fiestas Playa de la Fustera had their main day on 10 August 2025. These are not yet fully confirmed for 2026, so they should still be treated as pending the final programme, but they are absolutely real fixtures in Benissa’s summer calendar rather than random filler.
September and autumn in Benissa 🍇
September gives Benissa another event with real local personality: the Fiesta del Moscatel. The official agenda shows the 2025 edition on 6 September in Plaça Rei Jaume I, with grape cutting, a parade, demonstrations and live performances. That makes it one of the best examples of Benissa’s agricultural and gastronomic heritage showing up directly in the events calendar. For 2026, it is a very strong seasonal fixture to watch, even if the final date still needs official confirmation.
Autumn looks lighter in terms of major town-wide fiesta blocks from the sources currently published, and that is fine. Benissa’s calendar does not need invented density to feel complete. The official tourism pages also highlight annual traditions such as San Vicente Ferrer among the town’s recurring festive identity, but the stronger publicly visible anchors for visitors are still Sant Antoni, Puríssima Xiqueta, Moros y Cristianos and the summer district fiestas.
Christmas and winter cycle 🎄
Benissa will almost certainly publish another dedicated Christmas programme for the end of 2026, but that had not yet appeared at the time this guide was prepared. What we do know is that the town’s Christmas cycle already carried into early January 2026 through activities such as the Belén exhibition and the Reyes-related programme. That means the winter season remains relevant even if the late-2026 Christmas agenda still needs to be updated later.
Extra cultural and gastronomic events in Benissa
Benissa’s events identity is wider than fiestas alone. The tourism and events pages also reference a recurring calendar of markets, cultural exhibitions, children’s theatre, philately markets, painting contests, classical music and gastronomy. One useful official page even lists the market of philately and stamp auction on the first Sunday of each month, along with other regular cultural activities across the year.
That matters because it means Benissa is not only worth visiting during the biggest fiesta peaks. Even outside the main patron or Moros y Cristianos dates, the town still has enough event and cultural movement to justify a trip — especially if your audience likes places with a stronger traditional feel and less generic resort energy.
Practical tips for enjoying the Benissa festivities
If you want the most traditional Benissa atmosphere, the two strongest periods are late April for Puríssima Xiqueta and late June for Moros y Cristianos. Those are the moments when the town’s identity is most visible and most intense.
If you prefer smaller-scale local celebrations, summer is packed with barrios and partidas fiestas rather than one giant single event. That is one of Benissa’s strengths. It gives you repeated reasons to visit instead of just one overhyped date on the calendar.
And if you are publishing this page now, do not pretend the whole 2026 calendar is fully locked. The anchors are strong, but some of the most important recurring blocks — especially Puríssima Xiqueta, Semana Santa, Moros y Cristianos full programme, Fiesta del Moscatel and the late-year Christmas agenda — still need the final official pages as they are released.
FAQ about festivities in Benissa in 2026❓
What are the biggest festivities in Benissa in 2026?
The biggest anchors are Fira i Porrat Sant Antoni in January, the Puríssima Xiqueta patron fiestas in late April, and Moros y Cristianos around 29 June. Summer district fiestas and the Fiesta del Moscatel also play an important role in Benissa’s yearly calendar.
When is the Fira i Porrat Sant Antoni in Benissa in 2026?
The official Benissa agenda lists the Fira i Porrat Sant Antoni from 16 to 25 January 2026.
When are the Puríssima Xiqueta fiestas in Benissa?
Benissa’s official fiestas page says the Puríssima Xiqueta celebrations take place every year from the fourth Sunday of April. The 2025 edition ran from 25 April to 4 May, and 27 April 2026 is already confirmed as Día del Riberer, one of the key local dates within that cycle.
When are the Moros y Cristianos in Benissa in 2026?
The official local holiday is 29 June 2026, and Benissa’s tourism page says the fiesta is celebrated every year on the weekend closest to 29 June. The detailed 2026 programme still needs final publication.
Does Benissa have good summer fiestas outside the town centre?
Yes. The official Fiestas de Barrios y Partidas page lists multiple summer celebrations across Benissa’s districts and coastal areas, including Pinos, Playa de la Fustera, Berdica, Benimarraig and Benimallunt.
Is Benissa only about religious fiestas?
No. Benissa’s official agenda also includes gastronomic events, markets, theatre, exhibitions and family activities, which gives the town a broader event calendar than just the main traditional celebrations.
✅ Editor’s Conclusion
If you want the blunt version, Benissa has one of the most genuinely rooted fiesta calendars on this part of the Costa Blanca. It is not trying to be flashy. It works because it still feels tied to the town itself: Sant Antoni in winter, Puríssima Xiqueta in spring, Moros y Cristianos in early summer, district fiestas through the hotter months, and gastronomy woven through the year.
Key takeaways:
Fira i Porrat Sant Antoni is the clearest early-year highlight in Benissa.
Puríssima Xiqueta is the town’s major patron-fiesta cycle and typically starts from the fourth Sunday of April.
29 June 2026 is the key fixed anchor for Moros y Cristianos.
Benissa’s barrios and partidas fiestas give the summer calendar a lot more depth than just one or two headline events.
Keep Exploring Benissa 🔗
Benissa has a lot more going on than just its annual fiestas. Once you’ve checked the main celebrations and key dates for 2026, it’s worth exploring the area a bit more — from quiet coves and scenic coastal paths to the character of Benissa Pueblo and its historic streets. These guides will help you plan more of your time in and around Benissa:
Beaches and Coves in Benissa – discover the coastline’s hidden corners, crystal-clear swimming spots and some of the prettiest seaside views in the area.
Benissa Pueblo / Old Town – explore the historic centre, local character and traditional side of one of the Costa Blanca’s most charming inland-meets-coastal towns.
Benissa Walks & Paseo Ecológico – find the best walking routes in Benissa, including the famous coastal eco-walk and other scenic paths worth adding to your trip.
You can also use these related guides to build your trip around the biggest events of the year, especially if you’re visiting for the Fira i Porrat de Sant Antoni, the Puríssima Xiqueta fiestas or the Moros y Cristianos celebrations.
