Benidorm will hold its Fancy Dress Party in the Rincón de Loix on Thursday 12 November, with activities starting at 2pm and a parade scheduled for after 4pm.
Eighteen floats and dance and entertainment groups have already registered, according to Abreca, while organisers expect attendance to be around 30,000 people.
That figure is a forecast for an event that has yet to take place, coming a day after the end of the Festes Majors Patronals.
Gerona and Lepanto to close from late morning
Gerona, Lepanto and Mallorca streets will form the main setting for this open-air fancy dress celebration, in one of the city’s busiest tourist areas.
The announced arrangements include closing Gerona and Lepanto to traffic at around 11am, before the party begins, to help keep road users and pedestrians safe.
More than fifty establishments will take part in organising the day in some way, with the colourful parade forming the central event in the programme.
The council has announced additional local police, National Police, Civil Protection and medical services to deal with any incidents that may arise during the celebration.
A celebration that began at Sinatra’s pub
Businessman Manolo Nieto started the party at Sinatra’s pub 32 years ago, before it grew as other venues and visitors became involved.
Nieto has presented this year’s event alongside Events and Public Safety councillor Jesús Carrobles and Rubén Navarro, representing Abreca.
The celebration retains a strong British presence, although its promoters point out that Belgian, Dutch and Spanish visitors also join residents of Benidorm and other municipalities.
Organisers say some participants travel specifically for the Thursday, while others extend their stay to enjoy the patron saint festivities as well, or the following weekend.
An open-air party requiring coordination
Carrobles has stressed the complexity of preparing an event in open streets, where people join the crowd gradually over the course of the day.
Municipal coordination with participating establishments and security services has been under way for months; the road closures will therefore begin several hours before the parade itself.
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