D*na Festival brings 50 food stalls to Dénia's seafront

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• D*na Festival takes over Dénia's Paseo de la Marineta Cassiana on 26 and 27 September 2026 with about 50 stalls and a programme built by chef Quique Dacosta.
• Open-Meteo forecasts a hot Thursday on the Costa Blanca, reaching 31 degrees in Alicante city and up to 34 degrees inland at Cocentaina.
• AlicanteOut points to Alicante-Elche airport's long-running strength, recalling the year it welcomed its twelve-millionth passenger back in 2016.
• La Marina Plaza reports that a driver tested positive for alcohol after crashing into the historic Haití restaurant in Dénia at half past five in the morning, causing damage but no injuries.
• Life in Benidorm confirms that Benidorm Pride 2026 runs from 1 to 6 September, with pool parties, a parade and Main Stage after-parties.

Today's essentials

D*na Festival brings 50 food stalls to Dénia's seafront. D*na Festival returns to Dénia's Paseo de la Marineta Cassiana on 26 and 27 September 2026 with around 50 stalls, tastings and free workshops right by the sea, curated by three-Michelin-star chef Quique Dacosta, according to El Periódic.

El Periódic reports that the ninth edition will line up roughly 50 stalls: 24 producers, 20 food and restaurant stands, and three spaces dedicated entirely to rice, the dish that defines this stretch of the Marina Alta. If you have only ever known Dénia as a summer beach stop, this is the weekend it shows off its status as a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.

The tasting list runs wide: Requena wines, artisan vermouth, extra virgin olive oils, craft beer and coffee, per El Periódic. Alongside them come hands-on workshops on charcuterie, honey identification, gluten-free cooking, horchata, latte art, aromatic plants, ice cream, cocas and pastry, so it is as much a place to learn as to graze.

The big novelty for 2026 is international: the Portuguese city of Matosinhos, named a UNESCO City of Gastronomy in 2025, joins with an art installation by Aprosdeco. The official site, dnafestivaldenia.com, frames this edition around the idea of the book and of passing recipes on, with a special exhibition on food and culture and a run of conferences and cooking demonstrations announced as free and open to all.

Everything happens on the Paseo de la Marineta Cassiana, the seafront promenade in Dénia (Marina Alta, province of Alicante), the same spot that hosted last year's headline 700-metre table by the water, described by COPE Dénia as a packed success. Dénia sits about an hour and a half north of Alicante: easiest by car, though the town is also linked to Benidorm by the coastal TRAM line if you would rather leave the car behind.

What this changes for you: block out the last weekend of September now, because a two-day food festival on the seafront with free tastings and demos is a rare, low-cost family outing on the Costa Blanca. Note that some activities are free but the detailed hour-by-hour schedule and any ticket prices are not published yet: the official site promises them soon, so it is worth a recheck before 26 September, according to dnafestivaldenia.com.

Weather today

Hot Thursday, up to 34 degrees inland. Open-Meteo forecasts a hot, overcast Thursday 27 August 2026 across the Costa Blanca, with 31 degrees in Alicante city and up to 34 degrees inland, so keep water on you and stay out of the midday sun.

In Alicante city, expect a low of 23 and a high of 31 degrees under a cloudy sky, with only an 8 percent chance of rain and a light breeze up to 13 km/h, per Open-Meteo: muggy rather than sunny, so hydration matters more than sunscreen at peak hours.

Inland is warmer: Cocentaina swings from 19 overnight to 34 in the afternoon, with an 18 percent chance of rain and gusts up to 17 km/h. On the southern coast, Benidorm holds between 23 and 30 degrees with an 8 percent rain chance and wind up to 14 km/h, a good afternoon for the beach or a shaded terrace.

Transport & traffic

• Alicante airport's twelve-million milestone. AlicanteOut highlights the enduring strength of Alicante-Elche airport, recalling that it passed the twelve-million-passenger mark back in 2016 as tourism on the Costa Blanca kept climbing. For anyone flying in or out, that figure is a reminder of how well-connected this coast is: the airport remains the gateway most expats and visitors use, and its steady traffic underpins the frequent, competitive routes across Europe that make weekend trips and family visits easy to plan. AlicanteOut ties that reach to why the Costa Blanca stays such a popular base year-round.

What's changing for you

• Doing Alicante on a budget. AlicanteOut shares tips for visiting Alicante on a low budget without giving up comfort, aimed at travellers planning a trip with family or friends. The usual levers apply on this coast: book accommodation early, travel just outside the peak summer weeks, and lean on the local markets and menú del día lunches rather than tourist-strip prices to keep costs down while still eating well.

Local news to know

• Benidorm athletics track sparks a political row. Benidorm sports councillor Javier Jordá has accused the opposition Socialists of a lack of seriousness over the town's planned athletics track, saying the plot needed for the project has now been formally handed over, according to elperiodic.
• Driver crashes into Dénia's Haití restaurant. A driver tested positive for alcohol after crashing her car into the historic Haití restaurant in Dénia at around half past five in the morning, damaging street furniture but leaving no one injured, reports La Marina Plaza.
• Dénia opens a female-led pitch contest. Dénia is seeking the best business-leadership ideas through a women's Pitch contest on 21 September, offering personalised mentoring and public-speaking training led by journalist Marisa Picó, according to La Marina Plaza.
• Benidorm Pride 2026 runs 1 to 6 September. Benidorm Pride 2026 takes place from 1 to 6 September with a full line-up of Pool Party, Ñ Divas Disco, White Party, the parade and a Main Stage After-Party, per Life in Benidorm.

Tonight and tomorrow, the Costa Blanca

• Benidorm's last August weekend. Benidorm sees off August with a busy weekend from 28 to 30 August 2026, headlined by the Benidorm Beach Festival at the Gran Hotel Bali, according to Life in Benidorm. Expect a Closing-season feel across the town's venues, with the Beach Festival at the Gran Hotel Bali as the anchor event for one of the last big summer nights out.
• Raval Roig unveils its fiesta booklet. Alicante's Raval Roig neighbourhood presented its fiesta llibret this Thursday at the Casa de la Festa, a week before the pregón kicks off the celebrations, reports Informacion.

See the full agenda, tonight and tomorrow