Halloween parades are a big part of the Spanish culture.
Credit: Monica Planellas / Shutterstock
Across the Costa Blanca South – from Torrevieja and La Mata to Orihuela Costa, Algorfa, and Santa Pola – Halloween has grown into one of the liveliest nights of the year.
While in the UK it’s often a quick dash for sweets before the rain sets in, here it’s a full-blown celebration, packed with parades, live performances, and eerie theatrics that take over entire towns.
The region’s many ayuntamientos (town halls) see Halloween to boost tourism and bring communities together. Streets are decorated, plazas host family workshops, and even small villages set up costume contests and night markets. For thousands of British expats living along the coast, it’s a familiar tradition – but celebrated with unmistakable Spanish flair.
Why Halloween Has Become So Big in Spain
Halloween in Spain has grown rapidly over the past two decades, partly thanks to international influence, but also because it coincides with All Saints’ Day (Día de Todos los Santos) on 1 November – a national holiday that honours loved ones who have passed away.
Spanish families now balance both: a night of fun and fear, followed by a day of reflection and remembrance. The combination gives Halloween more depth here than in many other European countries.
Events and Celebrations: From Parades to Zombies
Every major town on the Costa Blanca South puts its own twist on Halloween.
In Torrevieja, the Ayuntamiento organises a full programme of activities, including a Halloween parade through the city centre. Costumed families, school groups and dance academies march from Plaza de la Constitución down Ramón Gallud Street, cheered on by locals and visitors.
But one of the night’s most talked-about event happens just up the coast in La Mata, where the “Survival Zombie” challenge returns for another year. Starting around 23:00 from Plaza Encarnación Puchol, hundreds of participants take part in a live-action game that turns the whole village into a movie set. Players complete missions while trying to avoid “infected” actors in full zombie makeup – a cross between theatre, film, and urban sport.
Meanwhile, Orihuela Costa, Pilar de la Horadada, and San Miguel de Salinas host family fairs with pumpkin carving, slime workshops and spooky inflatables. Smaller communities such as Villamartin Plaza, Zenia Mar, and La Regia focus on themed nights at local bars and restaurants, where adults don costumes and dance until dawn. Inland, towns like Algorfa, La Finca Golf, and Los Montesinos tend to keep things more traditional with local fancy-dress contests and music in their plazas.
Trick-or-Treating and Sweets
So, should you stock up on sweets? The answer is yes – but don’t expect door-to-door visitors everywhere. While some urbanisations such as Quesada, Dona Pepa and Benijófar have adopted the British-style trick-or-treat, most Spanish families head to organised events instead. Local shops often hand out candy to children in costume, and supermarkets are filled with Halloween-themed chocolates, marshmallows and pastries by late October.
What Stays Open – and What Doesn’t
Halloween itself is not a public holiday in Spain, so shops, bars and restaurants remain open, many offering themed menus and cocktails. The following day, November 1, is All Saints’ Day, which is a national holiday – meaning some offices, banks and large stores may close. Expect quieter streets as families visit cemeteries or spend time at home.
Why Expats Love It Here
For British expats, the Costa Blanca South offers the best of both worlds: sunshine, socialising, and a Halloween that’s much more of a public spectacle than in the UK. Instead of staying indoors, whole communities come out to celebrate. You’ll see pensioners dancing next to children dressed as ghosts, and entire streets glowing with orange lights and laughter.
Halloween here isn’t just about fear – it’s about fun, inclusion, and creativity, with everyone invited to join in. Whether you’re surviving a zombie apocalypse in La Mata, parading through Torrevieja, or enjoying a themed pint in Villamartin Plaza, one thing is certain: the Costa Blanca South knows how to throw a spectacular spooky night.