Benidorm Carnival - 10th and 13th February 2024
Carnival Time in Benidorm - The Carnival is an annual celebration, the date is dictated by when Easter falls, the Parades always take place on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday with the main parades on the Saturday, 10th February 2024, there are 2, a children’s one in the morning around 10.00 and a main adult one in the evening about 20.30.
The Carnival finishes on Shrove Tuesday 13th February 2024 with the ritual Burial of the Sardine. This signifies the beginning of Lent. This is a solemn procession which again begins around 9.30 starting at Plaza Mayor, goes through the Old Town and ends up at Poniente Beach where the sardine is buried. (Times are subject to change), don’t forget to take your camera along…you’ll see some fantastic sights!
Schedule of events for 2023 for guidance only information for 2024 will not be available until a week or so beforhand.
Carnival time in Benidorm , Saturday 18th February 2023
Children's Carnival
In the Children's category, 31 groups have already registered and there will be some last minute entries.
10:00 Concentration at the Calle Escuelas (just up past the Cristal Park Hotel)
10:30 Parade route, departing Calle Escuelas, onto Calles Ruzafa y Herrerías, into the Plaza de SSMM Reyes de España (in front of the town hall)
At the end of the parade, the distribution of snacks to all the participating children and prizes will be handed out.
Adult Carnival
Currently there are 54 groups registered for this years adult parade.
20:30 Meeting point C/Tomas Ortuño/C Venus
21:00 Parade route - C/Venus, Ruzafa, Herrerias, Doctor Fleming Plaza, City Hall Square, Park L’ Aigüera. Ending at the Julio Iglesias Auditorium.
At the end of the parade, snacks and soda will be delivered to all participants.
Finally we will have a party with bars at popular prices presented by the 40 PRINCIPLES BENIDORM. During the same time the award will be performed
Some roads will be closed for the processions.
Carnival time in Benidorm
The Burial of the Sardine - Tuesday 21st February
21:00 Concentration in Plaza Mayor
21:30 Departure with the next route: Plaza Mayor, C/Tomas Ortuño, C/Limones, Ruzafa, Paseo de road. Finishing up in Elche Park.
Finally, at the end of the "cream" burning of the sardine there will be a picnic at the House of Fester
NOTE - The above has been translated from Spanish
The burial ceremony came to replace older Spanish customs which were held to mark the end of the winter and is symbolic of the arrival of Spring, it is also seen as a good luck ritual to ensure the fishermen, who can now venture back out to sea without fear of the winter storms, had good hauls.
It’s also a symbolic burial of the past. The ceremony is stripping away the past, in a socially established ritual of chaos, burning out the mayhem of carnival and the long winter months, and ushering in from the ashes a new year, a society reborn and serious once again, ready to face the hardships of the future.