Dep. Legal A 42-2025 - ISSN 3015-1309
Holy chaos
Ascot in Benidorm RUMOURS are circulating in Benidorm about plans for a grand racecourse inspired by Britain’s Ascot, potentially reshaping the Costa Blanca resort. Unconfirmed reports from sources close to the local council suggest construction could start in 2026. The proposed €250-million venue would hold 70,000 spectators and be built beside Benidorm’s historic trinquet. Plans include covered grandstands, VIP boxes, gourmet dining, landscaped gardens and a state-of-the-art track, aiming to rank among southern Europe’s largest racecourses. The project seeks to diversify tourism beyond beaches and nightlife, attracting elite events blending sport, fashion and glamour, with strict Ascot-style dress codes on premier days. Thousands of jobs are anticipated, and supporters say it could place Benidorm alongside Ascot, Longchamp, Churchill Downs and Meydan. No official announcement by the town hall has yet been made, but excitement is growing.
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THE streets of the southeastern Spanish town of Ibi were transformed into a chaotic, flour-dusted battlefield on Sunday December 28 as hundreds of revellers participated in the annual Els Enfarinats festival. This centuries-old tradition marks the Day of the Holy Innocents, Spain’s equivalent of April Fool’s Day, with pranks and role reversal. A group known as Els Enfarinats - meaning ‘the floured ones’ in Valencian - dressed in exaggerated military uniforms, staged a mock coup d’état. They paraded through the central squares, enacting absurd laws and fining ‘offenders’. All proceeds went to local charities. The climax was a frenzied street battle between opposing factions. Participants hurled flour bombs, eggs, and firecrackers, coa-
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Credit- Manuel Vilanova FB
Costa Blanca North • No. 2113 • 1 - 7 January 2026
Ibi’s Els Enfarinats street battle.
ting people, bystanders, and cobblestone streets in thick powder and yolk. Local reports said this year’s event used over 500 dozen eggs, dozens of sacks of spoilt flour, and nearly 100 kilograms of pyrotechnics. Dating back more than 200 years, the festival was revived in 1981 after a mid20th-century pause caused
by historical turmoil. Mayor Sergio Carrasco called it an expression of community spirit. Thousands watched the mayhem, which ended peacefully in the afternoon with traditional dances and a symbolic restoration of order. No injuries were reported, though cleanup crews faced a daunting task.
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