Stag Do in Benidorm

Millers Bar on Calle Lepanto, between Sinatras and Hotel Arcos Gold, is the base for many organised stag weekends. It is run by Frank the Stag Man, whose FK IT parties start and finish here, so on Friday and Saturday nights it is packed with groups in matching shirts. Go early in the evening to meet other stags before the crawl sets off.

Jail Rock on Calle Gerona is a rock bar with live bands and a loud, friendly crowd. It suits groups who would rather sing along to Bon Jovi than dance to chart music, and it is busiest from 23:00 at the weekend.

Waikiki Bar, also on Calle Gerona, is a lively Strip bar with drinks deals and a party atmosphere that works well as an early-evening meeting point before you move on to the show bars.

Outback Aussie Sports Bar is the place to watch the match: big screens, sport all afternoon and a crowd that turns the evening into a party. It is ideal for a Saturday afternoon if there is a big game on.

Western Saloon is one of the Strip's best-loved show bars, with sing-along acts most nights and a room that fills with stag and hen groups. Friday and Saturday are the big nights.

Morgan Tavern is another Strip favourite with live acts every night and plenty of room for a big group. Families are welcome early in the evening; after 22:00 it is adults only, which suits a stag perfectly.

The Red Lion on Calle Gerona mixes comedy, tributes and late adult shows, including Sticky Star. It is a good place to anchor a night because the line-up runs from early evening to the small hours.

Wild Duck on Calle Gerona is a sports bar by day and a party bar by night, handy for watching football before heading into the show bars next door. Shamrock is a traditional Irish-style bar near the Strip that suits a quieter pint before the night gets going.

When the bars wind down, groups head for the clubs on the Square (Avenida de Mallorca) and around Levante. See our nightclubs guide for opening times, dress codes and areas.

18+ only: adult shows are strictly for over-18s and you may be asked for photo ID. Benidorm's late shows are a stag-weekend tradition. The Star Wars show is the best-known adult act in town, Sticky Star performs at The Red Lion, and Chaplins runs adults-only late shows from 21:30. Most are free entry — you simply buy drinks. Our adult shows guide lists every venue and this week's times.

The FK IT bar crawl and beach party, run by Frank the Stag Man, are the best-known organised events for stags: a beach party with a two-hour free bar and a bar crawl with a one-hour free bar, plus a silent disco. Prefer to go it alone? Our bar crawl guide has a self-guided route down Calle Gerona with tonight's acts.

Benidorm has plenty to fill the daytime. Aqualandia water park is a classic for groups, and Terra Mítica theme park is a short drive away. Book quad bikes and boat parties a few days ahead in summer.

Most stag groups stay either close to the Strip in the New Town or in the Rincón de Loix. Staying near Calle Gerona means you can walk to every bar and club and back again, but expect noise late at night. The Rincón de Loix has more apartments and a slightly calmer feel while still being a short walk from the action. Apartments work out cheaper for bigger groups; check the hotel accepts stag parties before booking, as some do not.

Friday: land at Alicante, check in and meet at Millers Bar or Waikiki for the first drinks. Move on to Morgan Tavern or Western Saloon for the early acts, then The Red Lion for comedy and a late show, finishing at a club on the Square.

Saturday: sleep in, then a beach party, boat trip or quad bikes in the afternoon. Watch the match at Outback or Wild Duck, then join an organised bar crawl or follow our DIY route down Calle Gerona before an adult show and a club.

Sunday: a slow breakfast, Aqualandia or the beach, and a last night in the show bars. The tonight block at the top of this page shows exactly who is on at stag-friendly venues today, in Spanish time.

Most Benidorm show bars are free entry: there is no ticket, and the venue makes its money on drinks. Organised crawls and beach parties sell packages with a free bar for a set time. Budget for taxis, club entry and daytime activities on top.

Fancy dress is completely normal in Benidorm and part of the fun. Glass is not allowed on the beach, and the town council fines people for drinking in the street outside licensed terraces, so keep drinks inside the bars. Do not walk around without a shirt away from the beach. Use licensed taxis from the ranks or call one; never get into an unmarked car. Respect door staff — being refused at one bar can mean being refused at the next.

Most stag weekends need a slower day. Grab a full English in the Rincón de Loix, find a sunbed on Levante or Poniente, or take the short walk up to the Balcón del Mediterráneo viewpoint in the Old Town for the best view in town. A long lunch on Tapas Alley is a good way to get the group back on its feet before the final night.

Alicante airport is served by direct flights from almost every UK airport, many of them under two and a half hours. From the airport, Benidorm is about 25 minutes by private transfer or taxi on the motorway, and there is a direct bus for groups on a budget. For a big stag group, a pre-booked minibus transfer is usually the simplest option: everyone arrives together and you can drop bags and head straight out.

Remember that Spain is one hour ahead of the UK. Every time on this page and across OnBenidorm is in Spanish time, exactly as the venues give it, so you will not need to convert anything once you land.

Stag season runs from spring to late autumn, with the busiest weekends in May, June, September and October when the weather is warm but not scorching. July and August are the hottest and the most crowded, and flight prices peak during school holidays. Winter weekends are much cheaper and the Strip still runs nightly entertainment, although some bars close for the season — see our winter closures guide before booking.

Big events can make a weekend busier and more expensive. Benidorm Pride in early September, the November fiestas and big football weekends all fill hotels early, so check the events calendar before you pick a date.

Collect money for the shared costs — accommodation, transfers and any packages — well before the weekend, and keep a small kitty for drinks rounds on the night. Agree on fancy dress early and order it in time; matching T-shirts with nicknames are a Benidorm tradition and make it easy to spot the group in a busy bar.

Keep the plan loose. The beauty of the Strip is that the bars are side by side, so you can move on whenever a show finishes. Have one or two fixed points each day — a beach party, a big match, an adult show — and let the rest happen. Share a meeting point and a time for the end of the night in case anyone gets separated, and make sure everyone has the hotel address saved on their phone.