Whats on in Alicante this week 12 January to 18 January is a calmer one after the Christmas and Three Kings rush, but Alicante still manages to offer plenty of reasons to get out of the house. There’s a strong run of theatre and ballet, several excellent orchestral concerts at ADDA (including free ones), a big anniversary tribute gig, and one of the city’s most endearing Sunday-morning traditions.
When Alicante really was cold (and unusually grey)
With snow causing disruption across parts of the UK at the moment, it’s worth remembering that Alicante hasn’t always been as mild and predictable as people assume. Historical records show that in January 1885, and again in 1926, snowfall was documented in the city itself — a genuinely rare event that feels almost unthinkable today.
This winter has also felt slightly different in a more subtle way. The grey, overcast weather around Christmas hasn’t been typical either; Alicante winters are usually brighter, even when temperatures dip. It’s nothing dramatic, but noticeable — and a reminder that the city does occasionally break its own weather rules.
Theatre & stage performances
🎭 Teatro Principal de Alicante
(Centro, Plaza Ruperto Chapí)
A very solid and varied week at the Teatro Principal, with something for most tastes:
- Tuesday 13 January – El lago de los cisnes (20:00)
Ballet classic - Wednesday 14 January – Giselle (20:00)
Ballet classic - Thursday 15 January – Carlos Núñez (30 aniversario) (20:30)
Galician folk / world music - Friday 16 January – José Corbacho (20:30)
Spanish comedy - Saturday 17 January – Esencia (19:00)
Dance / contemporary - Sunday 18 January – Una noche de zarzuela (18:00)
Lyric theatre / zarzuela
This is exactly the sort of dependable mid-winter programming that makes the Teatro Principal such a useful cultural anchor.
Concerts & live music
🎼 Film Symphony Orchestra – cartoon & animation music
Film Symphony Orchestra
ADDA Alicante
(Campoamor, Av. de Jijona 5)
A full symphonic concert dedicated to cartoon and animated film music, performed by one of Spain’s best-known film orchestras.
Saturday 17 January
Performances listed at 11:30 and 18:30
This is a large-scale orchestral production rather than a novelty concert, and a good option if you enjoy film music performed properly, in a venue designed for it.
https://filmsymphony.es/concierto/alicante
🎶 ADDA Camerística – Solistas ADDA·Simfònica Alicante
(Campoamor, Av. de Jijona 5)
Two identical performances, both free, by soloists from ADDA’s own symphony orchestra:
- Thursday 15 January
- Friday 16 January
Although these concerts are free, tickets must be requested in advance by email via ADDA in order to manage capacity.
Tickets & details:
https://addaalicante.es
Free orchestral concerts of this standard are one of Alicante’s great cultural strengths. In many UK cities, you’d expect to pay upwards of £30 or more per ticket for performances of comparable quality — here, they’re sometimes simply part of the weekly programme. We are very lucky!
We’re hoping to get along to one of these two performances, schedules permitting.
🥁 Conservatorio Superior de Música Óscar Esplá – Percussion
Conservatorio Superior de Música Óscar Esplá
(Campoamor, ADDA Alicante)
A concert by students from Alicante’s superior conservatory of music, focusing on percussion repertoire. Concerts from the conservatory are consistently of a high standard and well worth keeping an eye on.
https://addaalicante.es/programacion
🎸 Linkoln Park – 25th Anniversary Hybrid Theory
Linkoln Park
(Polígono de Babel, Calle del Bronce 8)
A tribute concert marking 25 years of Hybrid Theory, performed by the Spanish tribute project Linkoln Park.
Saturday 17 January
A good option for fans of early-2000s alternative rock.
https://www.instagram.com/linkolnparktribute/p/DSVpV0tDNmy
Museums & exhibitions
🐂 Bullfighting Museum of Alicante (Museo Taurino)
Bullfighting Museum of Alicante
(Plaza de Toros, Plaza España)
For those curious about the Plaza de Toros without attending a bullfight, this museum offers useful historical context and insight into a long-standing Spanish tradition.
Opening times
- Tuesday to Friday: 17:00 – 20:00
- Mondays, Sundays & public holidays: Closed
Address: Plaza de Toros, Plaza España, Alicante
Website: https://www.alicante.es/es/equipamientos/museo-taurino
🌊 The Ocean Race Museum
The Ocean Race Museum
(Muelle 10, Port of Alicante)
A modern, interactive museum exploring round-the-world sailing races and Alicante’s long association with them. Free entry and easy to combine with a walk around the port. Behind the large casino in the marina
Sunday morning tradition
🐕 Porrate de San Antón – Blessing of the Animals
Plaza de Toros de Alicante
(Plaza España)
We believe this takes place on the morning of Sunday 18 January but cant yet find any details
One of Alicante’s more quirky local traditions. Pet owners from across the city — and further afield — bring their pets (mostly dogs) to the Plaza de Toros to be blessed. The morning often includes a formal and elegant display of horse riding inside the ring, making it a relaxed and very local way to experience the bullring in a completely different context.
Here’s a short clip on Facebook of the horses from 2023: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/18UXRyAQQi
Watch our Facebook page for updates, as official timings are often confirmed quite late.
Regular weekly events (checked for this week)
- Monday – Language exchange at El Gato Cool
(Centro, Calle Santos Médicos 4) - Tuesday – Cardio Walk to the castle
Meet at Plaza del Carmen (Old Town) - Thursday – Pub Games at Jendrix Rock Bar
(Centro, Calle San Vicente 9) - Friday – Jam session at The Robins Pub
(Centro, Calle San Fernando 26) - Sunday – Language exchange at Altabirra
(Calle Antonio Galdo Chápuli 13, 19:00–21:00)
Don’t forget to check out our guide to the best 4 star hotels in Alicante
Worth the short trip
🚴 UCI Cyclocross World Cup – Benidorm
Sunday 18 January
One of the standout winter sporting events in the region and an easy trip from Alicante for something a bit different.
Official website:
https://www.ucicyclocrossworldcup.com
And finally…
Even in a quieter January week, Whats on in Alicante this week 12 January to 18 January still offers plenty of good reasons to head out: quality theatre, excellent orchestral music (sometimes free), local traditions, and a few things you’d struggle to find elsewhere.
Explore the city at your own pace
🎧 Self-guided audio walking tour of Alicante
If you’d like to explore Alicante independently, our self-guided audio walking tour is a great way to do it. The tour takes you through the historic centre, combining key landmarks with stories, history and local context, all delivered via your phone.
You can start whenever it suits you, pause for a coffee or a wander, and pick it up again without feeling rushed — ideal for visitors or long-term residents who want to understand the city a little better.
👉 Tour link:
https://voicemap.me/tour/alicante/spain-s-city-of-light-alicante-s-history-and-highlights
most recent review of the tour:
“An excellent tour. We completed it on New Year’s Day when other tours weren’t available and had a brilliant time! Although we have been to Alicante before it was interesting to hear the historical facts and to see things a little off the beaten track. It felt as if the tour guide was with us!”
