Hogueras 2026: The Perfect Geometry of Bullfighting, Fireworks and the Sea

In the ring, the backbone of the feria rests on Alicante’s own José María Manzanares, who takes on a double appearance alongside Morante de la Puebla, the main attraction of a season where the new generation of matadors also plays a significant role within the carefully balanced programme.

Saturday 20 June offers a crystal-clear proposition: three matadors with completely different concepts of bullfighting, yet perfectly complementary when faced with the bulls of Álvaro Núñez. Morante brings his unmistakable artistry; Manzanares fights on home soil with the obligation to rise to the occasion; and Roca Rey arrives to do what he does best — standing his ground, electrifying the crowd and filling the arena through sheer courage and intensity.

On Sunday 21 June, the starting time moves to 8pm to avoid clashing with football, while the ring will feature three ambitious young bullfighters eager to make their mark: Víctor Hernández, Samuel Navalón and Marco Pérez. This trio is currently under the spotlight of the entire bullfighting world. The bulls from Puerto de San Lorenzo will provide the perfect test to see who comes out on top.

Tuesday 23 June has been reserved for the artists’ bill, featuring bulls from Santiago Domecq. Juan Ortega will bring slowness and elegance, Talavante will search for inspiration and improvisation, while Morante once again steps onto the Alicante sand in pursuit of further triumphs in an arena that has so often suited his style.

Wednesday 24 June, the feast day of San Juan, delivers the feria’s main event and most intriguing storyline. Manzanares steps outside his comfort zone by facing the famous Victorino Martín bulls for the very first time, a major personal challenge designed to reaffirm his standing in his own city. Alongside him will be Manuel Escribano, a specialist with this legendary bloodline and winner here two seasons ago, as well as El Cid, returning to Alicante to prove that his left hand still holds the secret to taming the feared bulls marked with the crowned “A”.

The feria opens and closes with two events full of personality, framing Alicante’s great bullfighting week perfectly. The opening gun will be fired by an attractive novillada with picadors on Friday 19 June, a commitment to the future where the leading novilleros will face bulls from Fuente Ymbro, a demanding breeding ranch ideal for measuring the hunger and potential of the sport’s rising stars.

The grand finale arrives on Saturday 27 June with the elegance of rejoneo. This highly anticipated mounted bullfight will bring together the leading horsemen of the discipline against bulls from Fermín Bohórquez, guaranteeing a spectacular, rhythm-filled and high-class conclusion on the sand of Alicante bullring.

Yet the reasons to spend this week in la terreta go far beyond the bullring itself. For international visitors, the experience extends well beyond the seats in the arena. Alicante offers the perfect combination of the gunpowder scent of the mascletás, the artistic grandeur of the Hogueras monuments filling the streets, and the constant embrace of the Mediterranean Sea. The bullring becomes an essential stop within a sensory journey that begins on the sands of Postiguet Beach and culminates in the golden albero of the arena, offering tourists the irresistible appeal of a city that celebrates life, art and light like nowhere else.