The Firework Competition for the Alicante June festival

The International Firework Competition starts the night after the bonfires of St. John. Each night, a different pyrotechnic company organises a display as their competition entry, starting at midnight.  The more than 25 minute-long spectacle is enjoyed by hundreds or even thousands of people sitting on the beach and promenade (amongst other viewing points) and it gets quite packed.  The displays are very good and there are usually some innovative fireworks each year.

If you go to the most accessible place to see the display (and its intended viewing angle) which is the main beach in Alicante, the Playa del Postiguet, then I recommend arriving about 20 minutes early to get a spot on the sand (yes, the beach actually does fill up!).  Take a towel to sit on and face towards the Playa del Cocó where the rockets are set off from.

Some people take their boats out to see the display from, anchoring them in the bay. I've seen a display from my uncle's boat before but as we arrived about an hour before and were bobbing up and down for all that time (and I am not very good on boats) it was not the best place for me.

This year we walked up to the Serra Grossa, a huge 'rock' just next to the beach, further along from the castle towards Albufereta.  We took torches to hike up as its quite dark and its just a rough stone path.  At the top, we were higher up than the castle and above the fireworks, and I think too far away to appreciate the sound with the explosion.  So that is crossed off my list too.

A great place to see the display from is my friend's balcony, which is right in front of the Playa del Cocó.

You can see the enormity of the fireworks from there and also feel the sound as it rebounds off the surrounding hills.  The traffic was stopped on the street next to the beach this year because people usually just park their cars to watch the display and literally block the road!

I didn't take any photos of the traca this year but its worth mentioning.  The pyrotechnics hook up a string of firecrackers from the lamp posts on the beach promenade of about 200-300m long.  Just after the firework display, they set light to this track of firecrackers which form part of the competition.  They are very loud and are not just a simple boom but a string of upside down, fountain-like fireworks (remember from the box of 'Standard' fireworks from bonfire nights, my UK readers?) that get progressively louder and crazier.  Traditionally, young men would line up at the start of the traca and race it to try to get to the end before the last one explodes.  Some get lucky if there is a problem with the track and the firecrackers have to be lit along the line... they get a chance of beating it!  It's a great way to end the firework display each night and brings the fireworks closer to the people watching it from the beach itself.

It is also a nice continuation of the fiestas as people get back to work after the hogueras, they still have something to see and do on these hot summer evenings.  And if you've never seen an ice cream shop full of people at 1am on a weekday evening then you will do during this time in Alicante!