20th to 24th June Fogueres de sant Joan Alicante Fiesta

19 May 2017 Back

The "Fogueres de Sant Joan" (Hogueras de San Juan) are celebrations held every year from 20 to 24 June in Alicante, which have been declared of International Tourist Interest.

They are the city's largest fiestas and have their origin in the ancient tradition of burning objects, dancing around a bonfire to celebrate the coming of the summer solstice.

During the festivities traditions include "mascletàs" (noisy and rhythmic firework displays), the "plantà", the procession of the Ninot, the offering of Flowers to the Virgen del Remedio and the "cremà".

One day before the opening. The "band entrance" is performed a musical procession of bands with representatives of all the districts participating the members of the commissions fogueriles, wearing the traditional costumes of century XVIII Alicante.

On June 20, the celebrations begin and at 12 o'clock in the evening, "la plantà" takes place, that is to say, the process of assembling and construction of the huge effigies depicting images of local and national satirical significance to be burnt four Days later (on the feast of St. John the Baptist).

On the 21st and 22nd, the fiesta commissions carry flower offering to the Virgen del Remedio, patron saint of Alicante, which they place in a catafalque in the square of Abad Penalva, where is the cathedral of San Nicolás stands. The Beauty Queens and maids of honor from each district carry bouquets of flowers that are placed before the image of the Virgin situated in the façade of the town hall.

On June 23, the "International Folklore Parade" takes place, a colorful cavalcade with floats, dance troops, musical bands and dancers from different countries around the world.

June 24 is the day of "la cremà", at 12 o'clock in the evening a huge palm tree is thrown from the top of Mount Benacantil, with the simultaneous discharge of hundreds fireworks of white light. Thus begins the cremà, that is to say, the burning of the bonfires majors and infantile. At that moment, a large windmill lit the official bonfire of the Town Hall Square. The fiestas end with the popular "Banyà" (bathed), carried out by the firemen to put out the bonfires.

Tip: In order not to miss anything of the "Fogueres de Sant Joan" party we recommend you to book one of the hotels available in the city of Alicante.