The second fortnight of August is when Alicante becomes the undisputed world capital of electronic music.
By attracting the best and the most "in" national and international disc jockeys, the city has created a festival in response to the major demand for electronic sounds that there is among young people, a genre that is sadly ignored by most of this country's music festivals.
Alicante Sundhound features the best DJs currently on the scene, and a programme that includes electro house, dubstep, progressive and of course, we couldn't leave out a touch of trap. This festival has enjoyed performances by such renowned artists as Exzassive, Carlos Alfaro, Danni Keels, Rocco Roxx and Fercho Energy, The Warriors or Alex Now.
Alexander Som put on a memorable show last year. Belying his 21 years, this DJ and producer of all manner of derivatives of electro house has already forged an enviable musical career for himself, and he has deejayed in one of the world's largest discos and indeed the cathedral of electronic music, Ibiza's Privilege discotheque.
Which demonstrates that Alicante Sundhound is now a veritable benchmark for followers of electronic music. Another big name to have graced the festival is Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, a Belgian electronic music duo formed by brothers Dimitri Thivaios (Dimitri Vegas) and Michael Thivaios (Like Mike) who currently occupy the number one slot in the British magazine that specializes in Disc Jockeys, DJmag.
Alicante Sundhound started out as a project aimed primarily at the youth market, and particularly that section of the public that prefers a harder type of electronic music, although it goes without saying that age is no obstacle. The good weather, a warm location with the Mediterranean as a background and an amazing array of artists are the three magic ingredients that in barely two years have turned this festival into an unmissable event for lovers of electro sounds.
The festival has three stages: the Sunhound Stage, the Open Air Stage and Dubstep Paradise. In 2013 it took place in the "Institución Ferial Alicantina" (the Alicante Fairground) and in 2014 it was put on in a venue called Madness in Alicante (which used to be the Hall Live Club).
Altea's Castell de la l´Olla has been a tradition for over twenty years; a festival of light and gunpowder, which is unique in being the only festival in the world with a firework display at sea, with the pyrotechnics launched from 8 platforms each weighing 15 tonnes.
The month of October is when Calpe holds an event that people have been looking forward to all year: bands of music, the raising of standards in the Castle, the offering, the disembarkation or the great Parade are the highlights of the traditional Moors and Christians festivities in honour of the "Santísimo Cristo del Sudor" (the Most Holy Christ of Sweat).
The Bonfires of San Juan in Alicante, which coincide with the summer solstice on the 24th of June, are without doubt the best known of all the festivities that are held in this town. Internationally famous, not for nothing have they been declared a "Festival of International Tourist Interest", and each year they attract thousands of people from every corner of the world.