ARCHIVED - Alicante on the Costa Blanca suspends its bonfire fiesta Hogueras 2021
The traditional and hugely popular bonfire celebrations in Alicante in the Valencian Region have been suspended over health and safety concerns.
Alicante will not celebrate its most traditional festival, las Hogueras de San Juan, this year after the committees involved in organising the fiestas unanimously agreed to suspend the bonfire festivities until next year.
The city council had suggested holding the celebrations - which attract thousands to the town each year - from September with a 'skeletal' program.
But an overwhelming majority of 82.96 per cent of the 135 associations and committees involved voted for a complete suspension until 2022 when the spectacular festivities can be "celebrated in full".
This is the second year the fabulous fallas (huge statuesque creations) and bonfire fiesta has been cancelled due to the Covid pandemic.
However, Alicante Mayor, Luis Barcala, said the "local government agrees with the criteria of responsibility and good sense needed in the world of fiestas" and added that, with this in mind "painful decisions like this have to be made."
Normally held over four days in June, the festivities are an amazing display of monumental fallas, music, colour and fireworks which culminate in the lighting of bonfires, family gatherings and firework displays.
IMAGE: Ayto de Alicante