What happens when

1. What this page is for

Programmes usually appear at short notice. A calendar with specific dates for next year would be wrong by spring — so this page sets out what recurs every year, with a link to whoever keeps the current details.

The Festes Majors fall on the fourth or last weekend of September every year; the programme with exact times appears a few weeks beforehand.

2. The year at a glance

• January — Epiphany and Sant Antoni: the procession of the Three Kings on the eve of 6 January, then bonfires and the blessing of animals for Sant Antoni.
• February or March — Carnival, depending on Easter
• Spring — Holy Week: processions through the old town, quieter and more solemn than the summer fiestas
• June — Sant Joan: bonfires on the beach on the night of 23 to 24 June
• July and August — craft market: evenings on the church square
• August — Castell de l’Olla: the fireworks display launched from the sea off the Platja de l’Olla, on the Saturday around 10 August (2026: 8 August). In 2025 the culture department spoke of 80,000 to 90,000 visitors (Altea Cultural, 11 August 2025)
• Fourth or last weekend of September — Festes Majors in honour of Sant Blai and the Crist del Sagrari: the entry of the Moors and Christians, embassies, a flower offering to the Mare de Déu del Consol and processions. The programme starts in late August or early September and ends with the main days in late September. Declared a Fiesta of Tourist Interest of the Valencian Community in 2021. The local public holidays are the Monday and Tuesday that follow (2026: 28 and 29 September); offices, the tourist office and many shops stay closed
• Early December — artisan Christmas market (Feria Navideña de Artesanía de Autor) on the Avinguda de la Comunitat Valenciana, in 2025 from 5 to 8 December, with a nativity scene (Turisme CV)

More on fiestas and markets

3. Every week

• Tuesday, 8:00–14:00 — weekly market at the Parking Basseta Centre car park; no parking there from midnight, park in the cycle lane of the Avenida Juan Alvado instead. Parking
• Monday to Saturday, 7:30–14:30 (as posted) — market hall: fish, meat, fruit and vegetables, with a small café. Avinguda Rei en Jaume I 4. Show on the map
• Summer evenings — craft market on the church square

4. Concerts, theatre, exhibitions

The Palau d’Altea is the town’s concert and theatre venue. The programme is published in blocks of a few months on its own site, with advance booking.

palaualtea.com

Exhibitions and talks are announced by the town’s culture department on alteacultural.com. Art in Altea

5. Sport

The local football club plays in the Valencian federation’s leagues. Fixtures and results are there rather than with the municipality — and they change weekly.

ffcv.es

There are also runs, regattas and cycling events spread through the year, announced by the municipality and in the local press. Media

6. Where the current details are

• Municipality — the official calendar, with fiesta programmes, road closures and office hours: altea.es
• Palau d’Altea — programme and tickets: palaualtea.com
• Tourist office — an overview for visitors: visitaltea.es
• Local press — anything announced at short notice usually appears there first. Newspapers and stations

We deliberately publish no individual dates here. They change too fast, and a wrong date is worse than none. The linked sources carry the binding information.