Hotels in Xixona and nearby towns are booked solid, while shops and restaurants are bracing for a rush as 10,000 motorsport fans are expected for the 12th Rallye Ciutat de Xixona this weekend. Now a fixture on Spain’s rally calendar, the event is expected to bring hundreds of thousands of euros into the local economy.
Organizers have invested more than €30,000 in the rally and expect the economic return to exceed €300,000, benefiting local businesses, including hotels and restaurants. The action will unfold across three special stages: Aigües-Relleu, Relleu, and Abió-Xixona-Horchateros. The route covers 322 kilometers, of which 72 are timed.
The 2026 edition appears on the Valencian Motorsport Federation (FACV) calendar for October 3 and 4. Xixona Sport organizes the recurring, officially sanctioned event.
About 150 staff and volunteers will handle everything from Friday’s technical checks to Saturday’s double runs on each stage. Víctor Cañizares, the rally’s president, opened the official presentation, laying out the technical and financial plan and thanking the sponsors and partners who help keep the rally going.
Local leaders see the rally as a major event. Isabel López, mayor of Xixona, called it “a luxury rally we share with several towns in the province’s interior, where tourism promotion is also impressive.” She said the event brings money to the area and puts its lesser-known landscapes in the spotlight. Sports councillor Marcos Ros agreed, saying the rally inspires young people and delivers real financial benefits to the community.
The entry list includes 46 teams, 37 of them in the basic Velocity category. Six-time Spanish rally champion Miguel Fuster, who leads the national asphalt championship, will lead the Skoda Fabia RS Rally 2 for Team Recalvi. Rally2 teams Polidura-Soto and Moreno-Fuentes are ready to challenge, alongside Tolosa-Salom in a Porsche 911 GT3 and Fernando Garrido in a Citroën DS3 WRC “ex Loeb.”
For Fuster, the rally is also a basic test of his car’s setup before the next round of the Spanish Asphalt Rally Championship in Valencia. He will assess its mechanics, suspension and brakes. The winding roads in Alicante’s interior push drivers and cars to the limit.
Nacho Aviñó, president of the Valencian Motorsport Federation, credited the rally’s growth to its organizers, sponsors and fans. He urged spectators to follow safety rules so the event stays thrilling while remaining safe for everyone.
Xixona’s rally brings business to local firms. Recent coverage of the Rallye Gibralfaro has described similar results at other Spanish motorsport events, and the local council has promised support for future editions.
