Medieval market Elche: dates, location and how to get there

In November Elche hosts a market that takes over half the old centre: smiths hammering away, bakers with an oven, storytellers, and around a hundred stalls among the palms.

The 2026 edition runs from Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 November. It is also in a different place from the one you may know, so even regulars need to pay attention.

Below: the dates and times, where the stalls actually stand, what you will see, how to get there from anywhere on the Costa Blanca and what turns it into a full day.

When: 5 to 8 November

Four days, Thursday to Sunday. The market opened on Thursday 5 November and runs until Sunday 8 November 2026.

The opening was on Thursday at 18:00.

The announced hours are 10:00 to 23:00. That is a long day, and in practice it means the market only really comes alive in the evening.

Careful if you read something else. One listings site gives 6 to 9 November with closing at 21:00. That belongs to an earlier edition and is wrong for this year. Two independent local outlets agree on 5 to 8 November and 10:00 to 23:00.

The annual pattern. The market falls around the early November bridge days and belongs to a festival that starts in the last week of October. To plan for next year, keep early November free and check the exact days during October.

Where exactly, and why that is different this year

This is where regular visitors go wrong.

This year the stalls are on the Plaça de Baix, in the adjoining streets and on the Glorieta. That is a new layout: the market is not concentrated on one square but spread through the centre.

The Plaça de Baix is the square of the old town hall with the Torre del Consell, the square crenellated tower in the photo above. That is the heart of it.

The Glorieta is close by, a square with palms and terraces. Expect to walk between the two.

What that means for your route. Do not look for one entrance. There is none. You walk into the centre and the market begins where the street narrows.

What you will find

Around a hundred stalls, with two clear centres of gravity.

Crafts. Leather, ceramics, textiles, wood. The usual medieval-market range, with the caveat that quality varies a great deal from stall to stall.

Food and drink. To eat on the spot and to take away.

And the most interesting part: the demonstrations. The programme names four trades shown live: the smithy, the bakery, carpentry and spinning. That is the difference between a market where things lie on tables and one where something happens.

Plus the surrounding programme. Children’s theatre, storytellers, pasacalles and live music. That last one is why the evening is busier than the daytime.

The festival the market belongs to

The market does not stand alone.

It is part of the XXXI Festival Medieval d’Elx, which runs from 23 October to 8 November 2026. The market is therefore the closing weekend of a festival lasting over two weeks.

This edition’s theme is “Terra Regnum”.

Why Elche has a claim to this. The town has a medieval core that is still standing, a palm grove on the World Heritage list, and in the Misteri d’Elx a liturgical drama performed without interruption since the fifteenth century. A medieval market is less of a stage set here than in most places.

We have a separate guide to that last one: visiting the Misteri d’Elx.

Getting there from the rest of the Costa Blanca

Elche is to the south, which means travel time from the Marina Alta adds up.

By train. Elche has rail links with Alicante and Murcia and a station on the edge of the centre. From Alicante this is the easiest option and you arrive within walking distance.

By car. From Dénia, Xàbia and Calp you take the A-7 and the A-70 around Alicante. Allow a good hour from Alicante and considerably longer from the Marina Alta.

Parking. The market takes over precisely the centre, so the streets where you would normally park are partly closed. Leave the car outside the core and walk the last stretch. Nothing official has been published about parking for this edition, so expect to search.

The best moment. For the craft demonstrations in peace, come during the day. For the atmosphere with music and lights, come after dark. You can do both in one day with a break in between.

With children

This is one of the few events here that holds children’s attention on its own.

The children’s theatre and the storytellers are explicitly in the programme. Times per day were not published in advance; they go up on site.

The demonstrations work for children too. A smith hammering needs no explanation, in any language.

What to watch for. It is crowded in narrow streets, especially in the evening, and there is open fire at the smithy. Agree on a meeting point.

And on cost: we have seen no entry price announced, but neither have we found it confirmed anywhere that entry is free. Assume you need money for the stalls and the food, and not necessarily for the way in.

Making a full day of it

Elche is too big to visit for a market alone.

The Palmeral. The palm grove of Elche is the largest in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage site. It starts close to the centre, so you can combine it on foot.

The basilica of Santa María. The blue dome you see above the rooftops everywhere. This is the building in which the Misteri is performed.

The Museu de la Festa. The museum about that same Misteri, for those who will not see the drama itself.

A practical order. Palmeral in the morning, the market with a long lunch in the afternoon, and if you still have the energy, the market again after sunset. Then you have seen both of its faces.

What else the month brings is in the Costa Blanca in November.

Frequently asked questions about the medieval market

Has this year’s market already been? No. It runs until Sunday 8 November 2026.

What does entry cost? That was not announced in the notices we saw. So we are not claiming it is free.

How many stalls are there? Around a hundred.

Where exactly are they? Plaça de Baix, the adjoining streets and the Glorieta. Not, this year, where earlier editions stood.

When is it quietest? During the day. The hours run to 23:00 and the evening is busiest.

Is it wheelchair and pushchair friendly? The centre of Elche is flat, but the streets are narrow and it gets crowded. No official information has been published on this.

Is this part of the Misteri d’Elx? No. The Misteri is a liturgical drama with its own dates in August and December. The market belongs to the Festival Medieval d’Elx, which runs from 23 October to 8 November.

Will it be back next year? This was the thirty-first edition of the festival, so the odds are good. The exact days are only announced during October.

About the authorMilo Schuijt

Milo Schuijt is an entrepreneur and DJ on the Costa Blanca. He writes about the places where he lives, works and plays: from beach bars to the housing market.