A record 45,000 revellers, 10,000 more than in 2019, descended on Benidorm for the 25th annual British Fancy Dress Day. Participants dressed as toy soldiers, angels, pirates, Vikings, snails, and even pot plants filled the Rincon de Loix streets, jumping from bar to bar in a colourful display.
The festivities included a foam party and a parade of 16 floats and dance troupes that wound through the streets from 4pm. Temperatures reached 26°C, which proved challenging for those in heavy costumes, such as a man dressed as a dinosaur.
Deborah and Michael Ryan travelled from Redhill, Surrey, specifically for the event. Deborah, 60, said: 'He was the pope and I was a nun. We got down at about one o’clock and everyone was walking down in their fancy dress. It’s such good fun.' She noted the age range spanned from 20s to 70s, with an 18-year-old girl describing it as one of the best days of her life.
Coral Stimsom, 75, attended with her daughter Josie Evans, 43. Josie said: 'We were flamingos and we thought there was only going to be two flamingos but we found two more flamingos. We made a flock. The atmosphere was amazing... There is no animosity, you can just be yourself.'
John Gregory, 50, from Haywards Heath, West Sussex, arrived unaware of the event. He said: 'We were actually disappointed we didn’t dress up... We felt out of place not being dressed up. Everyone was friendly and in good spirits.'
