adminFROM THE EDITOR
There’s a particular kind of joy that only Benidorm delivers in May. The summer crowds haven’t fully arrived yet. The terrace tables are full but not frantic. The days are warm and brilliant, the evenings still carry just enough of a breeze to make sitting outside with a cold drink feel like a genuine treat rather than a battle against the heat. If you’re out there this week, you’ve timed it well.
We’ve got a packed issue for you. Benidorm has made global headlines this week for something genuinely impressive. There’s big news on the nightlife policing front that’s worth knowing about before you go. A traditional Spanish fiesta kicks off on Thursday. We’ve got two fresh pieces live on the site, including a breakfast review that we suspect will send a good few of you straight to TripAdvisor. And the Eat & Drink Guide is back, fully loaded.
Right then. Let’s get into it.
LEAD STORY
BENIDORM BECOMES EUROPE’S FIRST CITY ON ROBLOX
Singapore. Tokyo. Benidorm. Benidorm resort is keeping some very exclusive company.
Benidorm has become the first city in Europe — and only the third in the entire world after Singapore and Tokyo — to launch its own dedicated game on Roblox. The platform is used daily by around 150 million players, the vast majority of them young people, and the game is called Benidorm Fun Town Tycoon. It’s a joint initiative from the City Council and the Visit Benidorm Tourism Foundation.
You might reasonably wonder what a Roblox game has to do with your holiday. More than you’d think, actually. This is destination marketing aimed squarely at the next generation of travellers — kids and teenagers who will one day be booking their own trips, and who are now growing up with Benidorm as a name they recognise from a game they play every day. It’s a smart, long-term move from the resort, and it shows that Benidorm has no intention of standing still and waiting for its audience to arrive. It’s going out to find them.
There’s something quietly satisfying about a resort that the British press has spent forty years calling “Blackpool with sunshine” now sitting alongside Singapore and Tokyo in a global technology first. Benidorm continues to do things its own way, and it’s working.
WHY THIS MATTERS:
- Benidorm joins Singapore and Tokyo as the only cities with a dedicated Roblox game
- Roblox has 150 million daily players — almost entirely under-25s
- Plants the Benidorm name with the next generation of holiday-makers before they’ve ever packed a suitcase
- Proof that the resort is investing seriously in its long-term future
🔥 HOT TOPIC
THE POLICE CRACKDOWN — WHAT’S GOING ON?
This one’s been all over the Spanish press this week and it’s worth talking about properly. Spanish police have conducted major operations targeting organised drug networks operating inside Benidorm’s nightlife venues, with around 80 arrests made. The operation uncovered a gang allegedly linked to drug dealing, violence, weapons, and co-ordinated surveillance of police patrols.
The honest answer is that this has been a known issue in parts of Benidorm’s late-night scene for some time, and what’s happening now is that the authorities are doing something visible and significant about it. That’s not a bad thing. It’s a good thing. A resort that is actively and seriously policed is a safer resort for everyone in it — and the overwhelming majority of Benidorm visitors, at every hour of the day and night, have a completely trouble-free time.
Know what’s around you, stick to the venues you know, and Benidorm will be exactly what it’s always been. Don’t let a headline put you off a holiday you’ve been looking forward to.
WHAT’S ON THIS WEEK
A solid week — a traditional Spanish celebration to round it off, live music from the Strip to the Old Town every evening, and one night that’ll have a certain generation of visitors absolutely delighted.
📅 Thursday 15 May onwards
SAN ISIDRO FIESTAS
Town-wide | Free
San Isidro is the patron saint of farmers, and 15 May is his feast day — one of Spain’s most warmly observed traditional celebrations. Expect music, folk costume, street gatherings, and that particular atmosphere you only get when the Spanish are genuinely celebrating something rather than putting on a show for tourists. If you’re in resort towards the end of this week, it’s worth seeking out. It’s a real slice of local life that sits beautifully alongside the Benidorm most visitors know.
📅 Wednesday 13 May
BAY CITY ROLLERS — BENIDORM PALACE
Benidorm Palace | 8:30pm | Ticketed
The legendary Bay City Rollers are on stage on Wednesday evening. If you know, you know. Book ahead if this one’s got your name on it.
📅 Every Evening
LEVANTE PROMENADE
Levante Beach | Free
The peamen are back at their posts, the beach vendors are doing their rounds, and the promenade is doing what it does best: providing an endless, free, gloriously chaotic show. A walk along Levante as the sun goes down costs nothing and never gets old. We could watch it for hours. You will too.
📅 Every Evening
LIVE MUSIC ON THE STRIP
Fibbers, Café Benidorm and more | Free entry / drinks prices vary
The Strip’s live music circuit is in full swing throughout the week. Fibbers is reliably good for covers and tribute acts, and Café Benidorm keeps the classic holiday entertainment rolling all evening. None of it requires a plan — just follow the music until you find a table you like.
🎭 TONIGHT’S ENTERTAINMENT
Whatever kind of evening you’re after — here’s your starting point.
OLD TOWN
JOLLY ROGER
Levante beachfront | Nightly | Walk-in welcome
Five or six acts every evening, cabaret-style, in one of the most reliably entertaining venues in the resort. Tribute acts, performers, comedy — it moves fast and the crowd loves it. Run by the KU group, who know what they’re doing. No booking needed, just turn up and find a table.
KU LOUNGE CAFÉ BAR
Old Town | Nightly
A relaxed alternative to the full cabaret experience. Good drinks, a decent atmosphere, and a little more breathing room than the busier Strip venues. A solid choice if you want a proper sit-down evening rather than somewhere you’ll need to shout to be heard.
THE STRIP
FIBBERS BAR
The Strip | Nightly | Walk-in welcome
Reliable, fun, and exactly what you came for. Live acts, cold drinks, and a crowd that’s purely there to have a good time. One of those places that works whether you’re starting your evening or finishing it.
CAFÉ BENIDORM
The Strip | Nightly
Classic Benidorm entertainment in a long-established venue. The format never really changes and that’s absolutely the point. If you want a guaranteed good night without any surprises, this is your place.
☀️ WEATHER WATCH — 10–16 MAY
May is delivering properly now. Daytime temperatures are sitting comfortably in the mid-to-high twenties — warm enough for the beach, warm enough to sit on a terrace all afternoon, warm enough to feel like a different person entirely. The evenings are a step cooler than July and August, but that’s no bad thing. A light layer in your bag is sensible, but this is lovely Benidorm weather by any measure.
Highs: 27°C | Lows: 17°C | Sun: ~9 hrs/day
Sea temperature: 19–20°C | Rain risk: Low this week
WHAT TO PACK: Light clothes all the way for the days — shorts and sunglasses from breakfast onwards. Pack at least one light jacket or cardigan for evenings, especially if you’re planning to eat outside late. The sea is warming up nicely but still feels bracing rather than bath-temperature. Give it another few weeks.
🍽️ EAT & DRINK GUIDE
Our weekly pick of where to eat, where to drink, and how not to blow your entire holiday budget before Wednesday.
THIS WEEK’S RESTAURANT PICK
CAFE LEROY — OLD TOWN
Avenida Alcoi, Pasaje de Gavina | Mon–Sat 8:30am–3pm
We’ve just published a full review of Cafe Leroy on the site, and the short version is this: it’s one of the best full English breakfasts in Benidorm. Run by a Welsh couple who’ve been at it for fifteen years, this is a place where the sausage arrives properly cooked and the whole plate feels like someone genuinely cared about what they sent out. TripAdvisor rates it 4.9 out of 5 against a field of more than 1,200 Benidorm restaurants. Air-conditioned inside, terrace outside, free WiFi, and budget-friendly throughout. Find it on Avenida Alcoi next to The City Bar.
Full review live on the site now.
CHEAP PINT OF THE WEEK
VINCENT’S — OLD TOWN
One of the oldest bars in Benidorm — open since 1965 — and still one of the best value. Vincent’s runs regular drinks promotions throughout the week, making it one of the reliably affordable options in the Old Town. Karaoke every night if that’s your thing, or just sit back and let someone else do the singing while you get a round in without wincing at the price.
COCKTAIL PICK
ARTIGAS III — OLD TOWN
A proper Old Town favourite. The Hawaiian shirt-wearing staff are part of the furniture, the atmosphere is warm and unhurried, and if the staff remember you from a previous trip — which they do, regularly — you’ll feel like a local within about five minutes. A great spot for an early evening cocktail before you decide what the rest of the night looks like.
BUDGET TIP
Head into Tapas Alley in the Old Town early evening — around 6pm before the main dinner rush — and you’ll find most of the tapas bars offering their best-value deals of the day. A bottle of house wine with the table typically comes with a handful of free tapas in some places. It’s one of the most consistently good-value eating experiences in the resort, and it doesn’t feel like budget dining while you’re doing it.
🌐 NEW ON THE SITE
Two fresh pieces are live on Benidorm Old Town this week — and both are proper reads.
DOES CAFE LEROY PASS THE SAUSAGE TEST?
Old Town | Breakfast review
A full English breakfast is one of those things that sounds simple to replicate abroad and very rarely is. The sausage is where it always falls apart — rubbery, grey, flavourless. Cafe Leroy, tucked off Avenida Alcoi in the Old Town next to The City Bar, does not have that problem. Our review goes through exactly why this place earns its 4.9 on TripAdvisor, why fifteen years of ownership shows in every plate that comes out of that kitchen, and whether it passes what we’ve decided is the definitive test of any British breakfast café in Spain.
Full review on the site — well worth a read before your next trip.
BACK IN BENIDORM: 16–26 MARCH — OLD HAUNTS, NEW MEMORIES
Travel diary | March 2026
A ten-day return visit diary that covers everything from a tale of two hotels — the excellent H10 Porto Poniente on one end, the more functional Apartments Estemar on the other — to spit-roast chicken at El Puente, a slow crawl through Tapas Alley, and evenings at the Jolly Roger and Ku Lounge. There’s also a stop at La Krem, the Old Town ice cream shop that lets you sample flavours before you commit to anything. (A policy we have never once encountered a single objection to.) The kind of diary that’ll either have you nodding along in recognition or googling flights before you’ve reached the end.
Full diary on the site.
📌 COMMUNITY NOTICEBOARD
Tips and recommendations from the Benidorm community this week:
- Ice cream at La Krem: They let you try before you buy. Multiple members have reported this policy to be life-changing. Old Town, near Tapas Alley.
- Breakfast timing: If you’re heading to Cafe Leroy, get there before 10am on weekdays. By mid-morning on a Saturday it fills up — and given the TripAdvisor rating, that’s no surprise.
- San Isidro this Thursday: Worth heading into the local areas rather than staying on the tourist strip. The celebrations feel more authentic and more fun the closer you get to the local community.
- El Puente, Old Town: The spit-roast chicken is back in its stride for the season. Budget-friendly, no fuss, genuinely good. Takeaway or eat in.
📆 COMING UP — MARK YOUR CALENDAR
📅 22–30 May
BENIDORM THEATRE FESTIVAL — 4TH EDITION
Rafael Doménech Auditorium, Cultural Centre | Ticketed
The annual Theatre Festival returns for its fourth edition later this month, running from 22 to 30 May at the Rafael Doménech Auditorium in the Cultural Centre. Four productions from both amateur and professional companies — including award-winning Spanish comedy group Yllana, closing the festival on 30 May with their football satire Gool. A proper programme of theatre that has nothing to do with tribute bands or cocktails, which is exactly the point. More details in next week’s issue.
📅 29–30 May
DARK CITY FEST — 2ND EDITION
Sala Penélope | Ticketed
Not all Benidorm’s entertainment involves sangria and beach balls. The second edition of Dark City Fest brings two nights of gothic and dark music to Sala Penélope at the end of the month. If that’s your scene, it’s on the radar.
🤔 DID YOU KNOW?
San Isidro, whose feast day falls on 15 May, is one of Spain’s most widely celebrated saints — and unusually, he was no bishop, martyr, or warrior. He was a farm labourer from Madrid. Born in the late 11th century, he reportedly spent his mornings in prayer and his days working the land with such dedication that — legend has it — angels would sometimes take over the ploughing so he could do both. He was canonised in 1622 alongside Teresa of Ávila, Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, and Philip Neri. In a resort that can feel thoroughly modern and relentlessly commercial, it’s genuinely lovely to watch those same 900-year-old celebrations come to life in the streets each May.
THE SITE AND NEWSLETTER ARE COMPLETELY FREE
The Benidorm Old Town website and this newsletter cost you nothing — no paywalls, no subscription fees, no catch. Just honest, independent content for people who love Benidorm, put together every week because we love it too.
If you’re getting something out of it, the best thing you can do for us is simple: tell a friend. Share this with your holiday group, mention us when someone asks where to find good Benidorm info, or pass it along to anyone who loves the resort. Word of mouth is everything for an independent site like ours.
And on social media — when you see our posts, a like, a comment, or a share genuinely helps us reach more people. It takes about five seconds and it keeps everything we do growing. We appreciate every single one more than we can say.
JOIN THE COMMUNITY
If you’re not already in the Benidorm Old Town Group on Facebook, come and join us. It’s a friendly, active community of people who love Benidorm as much as you do — whether you’re planning a trip, already out there, or just want your regular fix of sunshine from home.
When you see a post you enjoy, please take a moment to comment, like, and share it. Every interaction helps more people find us and keeps this community growing. We genuinely appreciate every one.
That’s your Bulletin for 10–16 May. Whether you’re out in resort right now living your best life, counting down the days until you are, or just reading this with a cup of tea and a quiet moment of holiday longing — we hope it hit the spot.
We’ll be back next week with the full preview of the Theatre Festival, more from the resort, and whatever Benidorm decides to throw at us between now and then.
Until next time — keep the sun on your face and the sangria cold. ☀️
— The Benidorm Bulletin Team
📬 Know someone who loves Benidorm? Forward this to them — it’s completely free.
