End of Afternoon Festivities at the Mercadito de Fogueres as Same Schedule as Racós and Barracas is Applied

Termination of the current contract for the Mercadito de Fogueres. The City Council and the contracting company have agreed to resolve the concession due to various issues with the terms regarding space occupancy and music schedules, which have led to complaints from festive groups over the years.

Various assemblies of the Federation resulted in criticism from the commissions of hogueras and barracas, as the Mercadito de Fogueres was allowed to have music throughout the day, while racós could only play music from 10:30 PM to 4:30 AM, according to municipal regulations.

A report issued by the Chief Commissioner of the Alicante Local Police also highlighted the current schedules of the Mercadito de Fogueres, which coincide with the celebration of parades and other central events of the Hogueras de Alicante, causing "an incompatibility between them."

Although last June the Festivities Department agreed with the company to reduce music hours during the offering days, June 21 and 22, it will be next year when the issue will be definitively resolved. According to the area councillor, Cristina Cutanda, the City Council will re-tender the contract with the same schedule as racós and barracas in the terms.

These new conditions are "for the benefit of the Fiesta," Cutanda stated this Tuesday. Also regarding economic cost, as the police presence allocated in recent years to the Mercadito - to prevent major problems - entails "a high economic cost for the municipal coffers," according to the report issued by the Chief Commissioner of the Local Police.

Alongside this report and others issued by various municipal areas advising against the continuation of the Mercadito, the Alicante Festivities Department has proposed the resolution of the contract, a decision agreed with the concessionaire company. This way, any compensation to the contractor is avoided, whose deposit guarantee will be returned.

Municipal departments such as Environment and Urban Mobility have also reported on various problems generated by the old terms of the Mercadito de Fogueres contract. From "damage to the irrigation network, in grass parterres and in shrub areas of the surroundings" to the occupation of the bike lane crossing the Federico Soto promenade.

For all these reasons, the new Mercadito - for the 2026 Hogueras - must leave the existing green areas in the promenade of this avenue in the center of Alicante as well as the bike lane free.

The dimensions of this protocol attention space during the main days of the Hogueras de Alicante determined in the rescinded contract indicate that the Mercadito must have a space of 540 square meters for catering and hospitality services, in addition to two other areas of 310 and 540 square meters to be managed and exploited "freely" by the contractor.

For the future contract to be tendered, the reduction of the Mercadito de Fogueres dimensions is planned to adapt its tents and facilities to the current measures of the Paseo de Federico Soto, following its pedestrianization and traffic calming improvements in the axis between Canalejas Park and the stairs of IES Jorge Juan, completed in 2023.