Anticipation had been building on Benidorm’s Calle Gerona, affectionately known as the strip, from early in the afternoon.
Some holidaymakers had travelled especially to the town in the hope of finding the ultimate party atmosphere in which to celebrate: Spain’s most British town.
Videos had circulated on social media of the pandemonium following the semi-final, which attendees Jodie White and Chelsea Hancox, both 24 and from Sheffield, described as “absolute vibes”.
“I’ve never seen owt like it,” said Hancox. “There were flags everywhere, people on people’s shoulders, crowdsurfing. It was like human Jenga.”
They spent the afternoon gearing up for an even bigger party on the strip, dressed in red and white – and they weren’t disappointed. The atmosphere during the match was incandescent, with street performers on stilts lighting fireworks and casting clouds of coloured powder into the air as as revellers chanted England songs and beat drums.
Benidorm has long been one of the most popular holiday destinations for British tourists, with 5% of its permanent residents estimated to be from the UK.
On the day of the final, the two was split into two halves: the western Spanish side, which thrummed with redshirts, and the eastern area known as the “zona inglesa”, or “English area”, which teems with British-themed pubs and restaurants, all of which were draped in England flags and red and white balloons as the town ahead of a tense Euros final, which saw England face off against the tournament favourites, Spain.
To minimise the risk of football-related disorder, Benidorm’s council brought in extra security, while some bars were ordered to serve drinks in plastic glasses from 6pm. Some roads were shut, and drones monitored holidaymakers from overhead.
Though tension has been building between tourists and locals in Spain this year, Benidorm’s economy is heavily reliant on British tourism. White said all the Spanish bar staff she encountered during the day had been “very team England”, sporting England flags. She speculated that things could deteriorate later: “I think they’re scared of the English, which is fair; we are animals.”
Candice Marshall, 50, from Leicester, said just three of her 11-person group had ventured out to the strip, fearing trouble, but she had phoned them to insist: “the atmosphere is amazing, it’s very friendly, so lovely”. Her friend Kerry Waitcliff agreed: “It’s amazing, brilliant, exciting.”
She also praised the Spaniards she’d encountered for being so accommodating of their enthusiasm for their team. “I actually don’t think we would be so good at accepting in our country what they have in theirs.”
Ashley Pickering, 28, from Chesterfield agreed: “The atmosphere with Benidorm in England has been out of this world, I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s unreal. I’d recommend anyone to come, the next euros or world cup is on, come to Benidorm, it’s on fire.”
Vince Watkins, 44, and Alastair Robson, 43, both from Worcestershire, also described an atmosphere of “carnage” on the strip.
Though the pair said they would be disappointed if England lose, they said they wouldn’t harbour any ill feeling towards local people. “We like Spain, we’re always here. What’s not to like – the sun, party, party, party isn’t it?” said Watkins.
It’s this atmosphere that lured Ashley Cullen, 30, and Miles Mackintosh, 22, who arrived from Manchester early on Saturday after rushing to buy flights to Alicante after England’s semi-final win.
They had seen TikTok videos of the atmosphere and thought “we’ve gotta get there for that”, said Cullen. “Everyone was having a beano, everyone was partying, the music was going, it was mint – as soon as England won we booked it.”
That the match is against Spain was an extra bonus, he added. “It’s going to be a big, big party all night.”
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Robert Shaw, 64, from Lancashire decided to leave the strip to younger holidaymakers after excitement for the better of his group – a stag do whose stag had opted to stay at home – on Friday.
He opted for a quieter bar to “watch it and enjoy the atmosphere” and engage in “sensible drinking, not going barmy”.
“I don’t want any trouble, I’m not here for that. I’m here to watch my home team. The [Spanish] guys who work in the bar in our hotel, they’re like, ‘we love you’, and we said ‘we do too’.”
Ben Smith, Evan Walker, Daniel Walker, Jack Pilgrim and Jerome Stewart, all aged between 18 and 23 and from Derbyshire, had enjoyed a “buzzing” pre-match atmosphere on Friday night. “It was good vibes. Everyone’s there for a good time aren’t they?” said Stewart.
He had only encountered positivity from Spanish fans, with a pair in Spain shirts asking the group – all draped in England fans and wearing shirts – to take a picture with them earlier in the day.
He expected some tension during the evening, but viewed it as a fierce but amicable derby-style rivalry, like Nottingham Forest and Derby County.
The group had noticed a considerable police presence in Benidorm compared with previous trips, though they found it good-natured. The strip was shut down to cars with police tape from early in the day.
Anca Fulga and Vicky Yordanova, bartenders from south-east Europe, had created bespoke half-Spain, half-England T-shirts for the evening. Their bar was draped with “Benidorm Wolves”, England flags created by the bar’s Wolverhampton-born DJ.
“I’ve been 14 years in Spain. It’s adopted us, it’s our second country, and we’ve been working 14 years with the English – it’s the country that feeds us,” Fulga said. “We support both teams, and it will be the best one who wins. Tonight will be a madness.”
