claude-apiMost people wander into Benidorm’s Old Town expecting tapas bars, narrow streets, and perhaps the occasional cat on a wall. What they don’t expect — and what the regulars have quietly kept to themselves — is that three times a year, those same streets transform into the setting for one of Spain’s most visually arresting festivals. This weekend is one of those times.
The Mig Any Moros y Cristians — the mid-year Moors and Christians festival — runs from Friday 17 April to Sunday 19 April. Three days of elaborate processions, period-accurate costumes representing both the Moorish and Christian armies of medieval Spain, mock battles, drumming, and the kind of theatrical commitment you rarely see outside a West End production. It’s free, it’s on your doorstep, and it’s genuinely extraordinary.
The history behind it is as compelling as the spectacle. The Moors and Christians festivals commemorate the reconquest of Spain’s eastern coast, and the Mig Any version (literally “mid-year” in Valencian) is the local communities’ chance to perform ahead of the main event later in the year. The costumes alone can cost thousands of euros and are often passed down through families. The people marching aren’t hired performers — they’re local residents who have been doing this their whole lives.
The main processions run through the Old Town from late afternoon, continuing well into the evening — because this is Spain, and nothing starts at half four. Check the notice boards on arrival or ask at the tourist information office for exact timings on the day.
- Head to the Old Town from around 5pm on Friday 17, Saturday 18 or Sunday 19 April — the main streets and central square are where to position yourself
- It’s entirely free — no tickets, no booking, just turn up
- Take a camera, plan for a later dinner, and avoid making firm restaurant reservations during procession hours
Genuinely, yes — even if you’re not someone who usually thinks much about food on holiday. The VI Tuna Festival (running 17–26 April) isn’t a poncy gastro event; it’s a well-organised festival week where 20–30 Benidorm restaurants offer fixed-price menus built around bluefin tuna. The appeal is partly the fish — which, done well, is quite extraordinary — and partly the value. Festival week tends to produce excellent meals at very fair prices because restaurants are keen to impress new diners. You don’t need to be a foodie to appreciate a beautifully put-together set menu that costs you less than a round in most UK city centres. Check the full list of participating restaurants at benidorm.org — well worth a look before you head out for dinner.
Across Facebook groups and TripAdvisor forums, the same message keeps appearing: the Benidorm Palace grand finale on Sunday 26 April is nearly sold out, and people who left booking “until they arrived” are finding that’s not a strategy that ends well. It’s a perennial issue with the Elvis Festival — the Palace show is the one everyone wants, and the last one people actually think to book.
The good news is that a small number of tickets may still be available directly from the venue. The poolside events and daytime performances at Hotel Meliá remain the backbone of the festival regardless, but the Palace finale is the reason people fly back year after year.
That’s Issue 54 done — a Moors and Christians weekend to look forward to, a tuna festival worth making an actual reservation for, and some very urgent news about an Elvis show. We trust you acted immediately on that last one.
Next issue we’ll be looking ahead to the Festa de la Creu flower crosses at the end of the month, previewing the Bay City Rollers in May (yes, genuinely), and — if all goes well — reporting back from the Old Town on exactly how spectacular the Moors and Christians turned out to be. We’ll be the ones with the camera and the slightly overwhelmed expression.
