Wetherspoons will open its first ever location in Spain next year, it has been announced.
The British pub chain is launching its first European venue at Alicante Airport, on the Costa Blanca.
Its doors are expected to open in January 2026, in the departures side of the airport.
The new pub will be called Castell de Santa Bàrbera, taking its name from the hilltop castle overlooking Alicante.
The venue will open from 6am and will feature an outdoor terrace, for those who like a bit of sun with their cañas.
Announcing the new pub, founder and chairman Sir Tim Martin said: ‘We are very much looking forward to opening our first overseas pub.
‘We believe it will be popular with people travelling home from Alicante airport.
‘We aim to open a number of pubs overseas in the coming months and years, including those at airports.’
The menu will still feature some British Wetherspoons classics, such as the Full English breakfast, but will also blend in some traditional local dishes, including garlic prawns and Spanish omelette.
The move reflects Wetherspoons’ long-signalled ambition to expand abroad.
Martin has previously spoken of his interest in entering Spain’s mass-tourism market, which attracts millions of British visitors each year, with destinations such as Alicante, Benidorm and Mallorca highlighted as natural fits for the brand’s formula of high turnover and competitive pricing.
The Alicante site will mark Wetherspoons’ first location anywhere in continental Europe, broadening its reach beyond the UK and Ireland at a moment when British brands are increasingly seeking footholds abroad.
For expats and frequent travellers, the arrival of the chain may be a welcome slice of home.
