The Hogueras de Alicante — the Bonfires of Saint John — is Alicante's answer to Valencia's Fallas, and arguably more spectacular. Every June, elaborate papier-mâché sculptures called hogueras (bonfires) are erected in squares and streets across the city. They range from satirical floats lampooning local politicians to monumental artworks standing several storeys high. Then, on the night of 24 June, every last one of them is set ablaze.
The festival runs for a week, with fireworks (the famous mascletà) at midday every day, parades of women in traditional dress, the crowning of a festival queen, and a general suspension of normal life. The burning of the hogueras is the climax: fires start across the city simultaneously around midnight, and by dawn there is nothing left. It is genuinely spectacular and attracts visitors from across Spain and beyond. Book accommodation months in advance if you want to be there.