The Costa Blanca music scene: bandas, festivals and the song legacy of Benidorm

The Costa Blanca has a dual musical identity unlike anywhere else in Spain: on one side the popular bedrock shared by the whole Comunitat Valenciana, the bandas de música (amateur wind and percussion orchestras that structure village life), with a big provincial competition in Alicante and a dedicated cycle at the ADDA concert hall; on the other a powerful festival and summer identity, from heritage heavy metal in Villena to Benidorm, the popular capital of song, running from the 1959 Festival (which launched Julio Iglesias) to today's Benidorm Fest, the gateway to Eurovision.

Why are the bandas the foundation of music on the Costa Blanca?

Because the village music society is here, as everywhere in the Comunitat Valenciana, the first place people learn and play music. The Federació de Societats Musicals de la Comunitat Valenciana (FSMCV), founded in 1968, brings together 546 music societies across the three provinces (Alicante, Castellón and Valencia): 47,000 musicians, 60,000 students and more than 200,000 members in total, according to the federation. It is present in 95% of towns with more than 500 inhabitants across the three provinces, Alicante included. There is no separate figure for Alicante province alone, but the roots run just as deep: in many inland and coastal villages alike, the banda is the first place for socialising, joined as a child and played in for life.

This living heritage has its big competitive event in Alicante: the Certamen Provincial de Bandas de Música de la provincia de Alicante, organised by the Diputación de Alicante, whose 54th edition was announced on 12 November 2025, with four categories and prizes ranging from 4,000 to 7,000 euros depending on the section. Year-round, the scene continues at the concert hall with the Ciclo Bandas de la provincia de Alicante en el ADDA, run with the FSMCV: 24 concerts, with the 14th edition announced for 2026 and 2027.

Another tradition, quieter but very much alive, is the orquestas y rondallas de pulso y púa, the plucked-string orchestras built around bandurrias and laúds. Their 25th Festival de Federaciones de Orquestas y Rondallas de Pulso y Púa de la Comunitat Valenciana was held in Benidorm on 9 and 10 May 2026, at the Centro Cultural de Benidorm. On that occasion, the Consellera de Cultura Carmen Ortí announced the declaration of Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC, a Spanish cultural heritage protection status) for these plucked-string orchestras of the Comunitat Valenciana, according to elperiodic.com (7 and 10 May 2026).

Where can you hear classical music and concerts year-round?

The flagship is the ADDA, the Auditorio de la Diputación de Alicante, opened in 2011 to designs by the architect Juan Antonio García Solera. With 1,500 seats and general and artistic direction by Josep Vicent, it is the province's great symphonic hall. Its 2026 programme mixes genres: ADDA Joven, the house orchestra ADDA Simfònica, the Ciclo Cámara chamber music series, the FIJAZZ jazz festival (12 to 20 July 2026) and the Otras Músicas series. It also hosts the bandas cycle mentioned above.

The most endearing venue is probably the Auditorio de la Concha de la Explanada, on Alicante's seafront. Built in 1954 by the architect Miguel López González and renovated in April 2015, this open-air concrete shell hosts more than 70,000 spectators a year: the Banda Sinfónica Municipal, local music societies, the Festival Internacional de Folklore and even the Alacant Rock event. For major conferences and some shows, the province also has the Palau de Congressos d'Alacant (not to be confused with a Benidorm venue, a common mistake), opened on 21 September 1984, renovated and reopened in June 2021, with 6,800 square metres spread over four floors.

Why is Benidorm a capital of Spanish song?

Because the town has a unique double musical life, centred on a single venue, the Auditorio Julio Iglesias, in the Parque de l'Aigüera. This 4,000-seat open-air amphitheatre, designed by the Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill, does not carry that name by chance: it refers to the Festival Internacional de la Canción de Benidorm, created in 1959, which Julio Iglesias won in 1968 with "La vida sigue igual", the song that launched his global career.

This legacy is not just a memory. The Benidorm Fest is its direct heir: its 2026 edition runs from 7 to 15 February, with galas at the Palau d'Esports l'Illa de Benidorm and a free Euroclub attached to the Auditorio Julio Iglesias. Eighteen artists compete for the ticket that names Spain's Eurovision entry. The result: Benidorm wears several hats at once, summer capital of electronic nightlife and historic matrix of popular Spanish song, from the 1959 Festival to today's Eurovision. It is an angle that neither Valencia nor any other city in the region can claim.

Which festivals shouldn't you miss on the Costa Blanca in 2026?

In summer, the province becomes one of Spain's great festival playgrounds, with a rock and metal signature few regions can match. The landmark is Leyendas del Rock, a heavy metal and hard rock festival born in 2006 and held in Villena without interruption since 2013 (except 2020 and 2021, because of Covid). It celebrates its 20th anniversary from 5 to 8 August 2026. The rest of the calendar covers indie, reggaeton and big beach parties.

In brief

• The bandas foundation: 546 music societies federated across the three provinces (FSMCV), a provincial competition in Alicante (54th edition in 2025) and a dedicated cycle at the ADDA.
• An overlooked tradition: plucked-string orchestras (pulso y púa), on track for Bien de Interés Cultural status, celebrated in Benidorm in May 2026.
• Three great venues: the ADDA (2011, 1,500 seats), the open-air Auditorio de la Concha (1954) and the Auditorio Julio Iglesias in Benidorm (4,000 seats).
• Benidorm, a double capital: from the 1959 Festival de la Canción (Julio Iglesias's) to the Benidorm Fest and Eurovision.
• A summer of festivals: from the metal of Leyendas del Rock (20 years in 2026) to reggaeton and indie, from Villena to Santa Pola.

Frequently asked questions

What is a banda on the Costa Blanca?

A wind-and-percussion harmony orchestra run by a village or neighbourhood music society. The whole Comunitat Valenciana, Alicante province included, has the highest density of these in Spain: 546 federated societies and 47,000 musicians according to the FSMCV, present in 95% of towns with more than 500 inhabitants.

Where can you see a major classical concert in Alicante?

At the ADDA, the Auditorio de la Diputación de Alicante, opened in 2011, with 1,500 seats and a programme of symphonic, jazz and chamber music. For an open-air concert facing the sea, head to the Auditorio de la Concha de la Explanada.

What is the connection between Benidorm and Eurovision?

Benidorm hosts the Benidorm Fest, Spain's Eurovision selection show, whose 2026 edition runs from 7 to 15 February. It is the direct heir of the Festival Internacional de la Canción de Benidorm, created in 1959, which Julio Iglesias won in 1968.

Which festival should you pick in summer on the Costa Blanca?

For metal, Leyendas del Rock in Villena (5-8 August 2026, 20th anniversary). For indie-pop, the Spring Festival in Alicante (late May). For an urban party, the Reggaeton Beach Festival (early July). And for jazz, FIJAZZ at the ADDA (mid-July).

Sources

Federació de Societats Musicals de la Comunitat Valenciana (FSMCV, figures and reach); Diputación de Alicante (Certamen Provincial de Bandas, 54th edition, and Ciclo Bandas de la provincia en el ADDA); elperiodic.com Benidorm, 7 and 10 May 2026 (pulso y púa festival and BIC announcement); ADDA (2026 programme and FIJAZZ); Ajuntament d'Alacant (Auditorio de la Concha, Palau de Congressos); official sites and press kits of Benidorm Fest, Leyendas del Rock, Spring Festival, Reggaeton Beach Festival, Noches Mágicas and Siente Santa Pola for the 2026 dates; documentation on the Festival Internacional de la Canción de Benidorm and Julio Iglesias. Facts cross-checked and rewritten, never copied.

Information verified in July 2026. The Daily Costa Blanca is an AI-assisted publication with human editorial review and responsibility.