Forget waiting until December. Alicante is getting its Christmas sparkle on early, with thousands of festive lights, a giant Christmas tree and a few surprises the council is keeping under wraps.
If you refuse to think about Christmas until December, Alicante has other ideas.
The city will officially switch on its Christmas lights on Friday 20 November at 19:00, marking the start of the festive season.
Head to Avenida de la Constitución, where the city’s Christmas tree will take centre stage for the big switch-on.
From there, thousands of lights will brighten Alicante’s streets, squares and avenues throughout the festive season, right up to the arrival of the Three Kings in January.
More Christmas lights across Alicante
This year, Alicante wants to spread the festive cheer beyond the city centre.
The council plans to decorate more neighbourhoods, and there is more to the plan than making the city look pretty.
The council hopes the displays will encourage people to visit local shops, cafés and restaurants during the Christmas shopping season.
Wondering why Christmas decorations started appearing while everyone was still wearing shorts?
Installation teams began work towards the end of summer to make sure everything would be ready in time.
Nothing says Christmas quite like watching someone attach a snowflake to a lamppost in 30-degree heat!
What surprises are planned?
The council is keeping a few details secret until the switch-on.
Previous Christmas displays have featured giant illuminated decorations, walk-through light installations and plenty of places for festive photographs.
The council may introduce similar attractions this year, but it has yet to reveal exactly what visitors can expect.
So, for now, the surprises really are surprises.
And there’s more than just Christmas lights
The switch-on marks the beginning of Alicante’s festive celebrations.
The city is also famous for its enormous Guinness World Record nativity scene, which attracts visitors throughout the Christmas period.
Other seasonal favourites include Santa’s House, the illuminated guardian angels and the camp of the Royal Postwomen, who collect children’s letters for the Three Kings.
These attractions have become familiar features of Alicante’s Christmas celebrations, although the council has yet to confirm the full programme and dates for this year.
Bridging the Gap’s recap
- When will Alicante switch on its Christmas lights? Friday 20 November 2026 at 19:00.
- Where will the main ceremony take place? At the Christmas tree on Avenida de la Constitución in Alicante city centre.
- Will other neighbourhoods have decorations? Yes. The council plans to extend the festive lighting across more areas of the city.
- Are there any surprises? Yes. The council is keeping some details secret until the switch-on.
- How long will the lights stay on? The council expects the decorations to remain until the Three Kings celebrations in January.
- What other Christmas attractions can visitors expect? Familiar favourites include the giant nativity scene, Santa’s House, guardian angels and the Royal Postwomen’s camp. The council has yet to confirm this year’s full programme.
- Why is the switch-on so early? The council wants to create a festive atmosphere and encourage local shopping ahead of Black Friday and Christmas.
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