Alicante is the Spanish city famous for the Bonfires of Saint John, held around June 20 to 24. Known locally as Les Fogueres de Sant Joan, the festival is one of the city’s defining cultural events.
The celebration centers on enormous artistic monuments made from wood, papier-mâché, and other materials. These figures, called fogueres, are displayed in neighborhoods before being burned during the Cremà on the night of June 24.
The festival also includes parades, fireworks, music, traditional costumes, and mascletàs, which are loud daytime firework displays. The burning symbolizes the climax of the event and connects the festival with wider European midsummer fire traditions.
Alicante’s bonfires should not be confused with Valencia’s Fallas, another major Spanish festival known for burning large artistic figures. Fallas takes place in March, while Alicante’s Bonfires of Saint John are tied to the midsummer period and Saint John’s Day.