Calpe’s fiesta calendar isn’t one long summer party.
The year moves between religious processions, neighbourhood celebrations, fireworks, marching bands, beach gatherings and large historical parades. Some events last one evening. Others take over streets for several days and change how you move around the town.
The biggest celebrations for most visitors are the Virgen de las Nieves fiestas in August and Moors and Christians in October. The Virgen del Carmen procession at the fishing port is smaller, but it feels more closely tied to Calpe itself.
This guide includes Calpe’s main traditional fiestas, along with several annual fairs and music festivals that visitors often search for at the same time.
Many 2026 programmes are already confirmed. Several autumn celebrations are still awaiting their final dates and daily schedules. Headline dates rarely tell you which evening contains the main procession, fireworks or parade, so always check the final daily programme.
Calpe Fiesta Calendar 2026 at a Glance
| Date | Fiesta or event | Main location |
|---|---|---|
| 6 January | Three Kings Parade | Plaza Colón and town centre |
| 14 February | Carnival children’s party | Plaza Mayor |
| 28 February | Día de Andalucía | Location varies |
| 29 March to 5 April | Semana Santa | Old town and local churches |
| 24 to 26 April | Mig Any | Plaza Mayor and town centre |
| 21 to 24 May | FiraCalp | Plaza Mayor |
| 19 to 21 June | Bous a la Cometa | Cometa area |
| 23 June | San Juan | Plaza Colón and Muntanyeta breakwater |
| 16 to 19 July | Virgen del Carmen | Calpe fishing port |
| 25 July | CreamPop Mini Festival | Plaza del Mediterrani, La Fossa |
| First half of August | Virgen de las Nieves | Old town and Plaza Mayor |
| 6 to 13 August | Bous al Carrer | Calle Conde de Altea |
| 13 to 15 August | Calpe Pop Festival | Parc de la Creativitat |
| Expected in September | Virgen del Rocío pilgrimage | San Salvador to La Cometa |
| Expected in September | Virgen de la Merced | La Merced area |
| Expected in October | Sant Francesc pilgrimage | Location to be confirmed |
| October, dates to be confirmed | Moors and Christians | Town centre and Arenal Bol |
| Expected in October | Oktoberfesters | Location to be confirmed |
| December | Christmas events | Town centre |
Three Kings Parade
Confirmed 2026 date: 6 January
The Three Kings celebration is one of Calpe’s main family events at the start of the year.
The parade normally takes place on 5 January, but the 2026 event was moved to 6 January because of the weather forecast. Melchior, Gaspar and Balthazar paraded through the town with music, decorated vehicles and sweets for children.
Spanish families traditionally exchange many Christmas presents on the night of 5 January or the morning of 6 January, so this is far more important locally than a small parade added after Christmas.
Arrive early with children. The central viewing areas fill quickly, and being several rows back makes collecting the sweets much less successful.
Carnival in Calpe
Confirmed 2026 children’s event: 14 February
Calpe’s 2026 children’s Carnival celebration took place in Plaza Mayor with entertainment, fancy dress, a costume competition and family activities.
Carnival here is much smaller than the enormous celebrations in Cádiz or Tenerife, though that’s not a criticism. It feels more like a local family afternoon than an event built for visitors.
Expect costumes, music and children filling the square rather than a week of major parades.
Día de Andalucía in Calpe
Usual date: 28 February
Calpe has an established Andalusian community, and Día de Andalucía brings Andalusian music, dance, food and regional traditions into the local calendar.
The size, programme and location can change from one year to the next. It is worth attending when you are already in Calpe, but it does not belong in the same category as the August patronal fiestas or Moors and Christians.
For most visitors, this is a community celebration rather than a reason to arrange an entire trip around one date.
Semana Santa in Calpe
Confirmed dates: 29 March to 5 April 2026
Holy Week is one of the more solemn parts of Calpe’s calendar.
The 2026 programme ran from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, with religious services and processions organised through the local parishes.
The main old-town programme included Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter processions, as well as several evening events during the week.
The late processions are the most atmospheric for visitors. The old town becomes quieter, church bells carry further and the mood is completely different from Calpe’s summer fiestas.
This isn’t a party week. Watch respectfully and remember that these are acts of worship, not street theatre.
Mig Any: Half Year Moors and Christians
Confirmed dates: 24 to 26 April 2026
Mig Any marks the halfway point between editions of Calpe’s main Moors and Christians fiesta.
The 2026 programme included festival gatherings, music, the change of festival officials, a paella competition and activities involving the different filaes.
A separate festival community day was also held on 18 April as part of the wider fiftieth anniversary programme, but the main Mig Any celebrations ran from 24 to 26 April.
This is primarily an event for the people involved in the fiesta rather than a smaller version of October. Visitors may hear bands and see activity around the centre, but the enormous costumes, beach landing and full parade come later in the year.
FiraCalp
Confirmed dates: 21 to 24 May 2026
FiraCalp is Calpe’s annual gastronomy and commerce fair, held around Plaza Mayor.
It brings local restaurants, shops and businesses together with food stalls, activities and evening entertainment.
Think of it as a local fair rather than a traditional fiesta, though it still belongs in a useful Calpe calendar. It’s one of the easier events for visitors to drop into without needing to understand a procession route or religious programme.
The atmosphere is livelier in the evening, when the popular food stands can become busy.
Bous a la Cometa
Confirmed dates: 19 to 21 June 2026
Bous a la Cometa is a community event in the Cometa area involving cattle releases, food, music and social gatherings.
It’s separate from the August Bous al Carrer programme in the old town.
Visitors should understand the format before attending. These are live cattle events held within enclosed areas, not staged performances.
Expect temporary barriers, noise, crowds and local access changes.
San Juan in Calpe
Main night: 23 June
San Juan is my personal favourite. It is Calpe’s midsummer celebration, with people gathering along the seafront and staying outside well into the night.
Private fires are not permitted on Calpe’s beaches. In 2026, Calpe organised an official municipal bonfire and fireworks display instead.
The main celebration took place in Plaza Colón. Fireworks were launched from the Muntanyeta beach breakwater at 23:45, followed by the burning of the official bonfire in Plaza Colón at midnight.
The seafront becomes busiest as midnight approaches, with crowds, music and far more activity than on a normal June evening.
There is less of a formal programme to follow than at Calpe’s larger fiestas. The appeal is the atmosphere, with families and groups of friends filling the promenade and surrounding area long after the town would normally begin to quieten down.
Virgen del Carmen
Confirmed dates: 16 to 19 July 2026
Main day: 16 July
Location: Calpe fishing port
Virgen del Carmen honours the patron saint of sailors and is the fiesta I would recommend to someone who wants to see something genuinely connected to Calpe’s fishing identity.
The central celebration takes place at the port, with religious acts, music, a procession and a maritime tribute to sailors who died at sea.
In 2026, the Calp Rowing Club carried floral wreaths into open water on behalf of the fishing community and the Real Club Náutico.
The setting is what makes it. The harbour, fishing boats and Peñón give the celebration a sense of place that a normal street procession cannot match.
Arrive early. Parking around the port becomes difficult, and the best waterfront positions disappear well before the main events begin.
CreamPop Mini Festival
Confirmed date: 25 July 2026
The CreamPop Mini Festival took place beside La Fossa beach at Plaza del Mediterrani.
It’s a small summer music event rather than a traditional fiesta, but the beachside location makes it worth including.
Don’t confuse it with the larger Calpe Pop Festival in August. CreamPop is the lighter, easier evening to stumble across while already staying near La Fossa.
Virgen de las Nieves
Main feast day: 5 August Wider celebration: first half of August
Virgen de las Nieves is Calpe’s main summer patronal fiesta.
The wider programme normally includes religious events, music, children’s activities, fireworks, open-air entertainment and street celebrations.
The main feast day is 5 August, when the religious procession and one of the principal firework events are usually held.
The biggest mistake visitors make is assuming everything happens at the beach. Much of the fiesta centres on Plaza Mayor and the old town.
If you only attend one evening, 5 August is the one to pick once the final programme confirms the procession and fireworks. That’s the night most likely to give you the full mix of religion, crowds, noise and spectacle.
Bous al Carrer in August
Confirmed dates: 6 to 13 August 2026
Location: Calle Conde de Altea
Bous al Carrer forms part of the wider August patronal fiesta period.
The events involve cattle released within a controlled street course on Calle Conde de Altea, with temporary barriers separating the animals from spectators.
They are divisive. Some people see them as an established local tradition, while others object to the use of animals.
From a visitor’s point of view, the practical details matter. Roads close, barriers go up, crowds gather and parts of the old town become harder to cross.
Parents should understand the format before taking young children.
Calpe Pop Festival
Confirmed dates: 13 to 15 August 2026
Location: Parc de la Creativitat
Calpe Pop Festival is a three night music event held in Parc de la Creativitat.
The 2026 programme includes Kiko Veneno, Marta Santos, La Cabra Mecánica, God Save the Queen, Desert Vipers and supporting performers across the three evenings.
This is a concert festival rather than part of Calpe’s religious calendar, but its August timing makes it relevant to summer visitors.
Check the official ticket information for the particular night you plan to attend.
Romería de la Virgen del Rocío
Expected in September
This pilgrimage is connected with Calpe’s Andalusian community and devotion to the Virgen del Rocío.
The usual route runs between the Ermita de San Salvador and the Ermita de San Juan de la Cometa, with music, traditional clothing and a communal atmosphere.
This is smaller and more local than the summer fiestas. It suits visitors interested in community traditions rather than large parades.
Virgen de la Merced
Expected in September
The Virgen de la Merced celebration centres on the parish and neighbourhood near La Fossa.
It’s more local and religious than theatrical, with parish and neighbourhood events rather than large town-wide parades.
Visitors staying around La Fossa may notice it more than those based in the old town.
Romería de Sant Francesc
Expected in October
The Sant Francesc pilgrimage is one of Calpe’s smaller rural and religious celebrations.
The usual format involves a procession or pilgrimage, mass and a local gathering.
It receives far less publicity than Moors and Christians, but that’s also why it can feel more like a community event than a visitor spectacle.
Moors and Christians
October 2026; full programme dates to be confirmed
Moors and Christians is the most visually impressive event in Calpe’s calendar.
The celebration honours the Santísimo Cristo del Sudor and combines enormous costume parades with bands, gunpowder, religious acts and reenactments linked to the 1744 attack on Calpe.
The main events normally include the grand entrance parade, the Moorish landing at Arenal-Bol, a mock battle, the children’s parade, the religious procession, and El Miracle in Plaza Mayor.
The grand parade is the easiest choice if you want costumes and scale. The beach landing is more distinctive still, since it uses the sea, sand and Peñón rather than looking like a parade that could take place in several Spanish towns. El Miracle is the part to watch if you want to understand Calpe’s own story rather than only see the costumes.
Expect very loud arquebus fire. It can be uncomfortable for babies, dogs and anyone sensitive to sudden explosions.
Why 2026 Matters
Calpe began celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of its Moors and Christians fiesta in 2026.
The first parade took place in 1976, while the organised festival structure and first formal filaes followed in 1977.
The anniversary programme runs across 2026 and 2027, with the main commemorative activity expected to culminate in 2027.
That makes the 2026 edition especially interesting, although the final daily programme still matters more to visitors than the anniversary headline.
Oktoberfesters
Expected in October
Calpe’s Oktoberfesters event usually brings German style beer, food, music and live entertainment to the town.
Calpe’s large German speaking community means the festival does not feel as out of place here as it might elsewhere on the coast.
This is an entertainment event rather than a traditional Spanish fiesta, but it attracts plenty of visitors and belongs in a useful annual guide.
The final 2026 dates and location have not yet been confirmed, so check the official programme before travelling specifically for it.
Which Calpe Fiesta Is Best
For the biggest visual spectacle, choose Moors and Christians. For Calpe’s principal summer celebration, choose Virgen de las Nieves. For something tied closely to the town’s fishing history, Virgen del Carmen is the one to pick.
For families with young children, the Three Kings parade, Carnival and daytime August activities are usually easier than late-night fireworks or gunpowder events. For food and a relaxed evening, FiraCalp is the simplest event to enjoy without planning around a procession.
Final Verdict
Calpe’s strongest fiesta period runs from July through October, when Virgen del Carmen, Virgen de las Nieves and Moors and Christians follow one another.
Trying to attend everything isn’t worth the effort. Virgen del Carmen gives you Calpe’s maritime identity, Virgen de las Nieves shows the town in full summer-fiesta mode, and Moors and Christians delivers the biggest spectacle.
Pick the Calpe fiesta first, then check the final daily programme. The headline dates rarely tell you which evening actually matters.
