IN PICS: Valencia's Las Fallas festival comes to explosive end

The people of Valencia work year round to create gigantic structures of cardboard that portray current events as well as pop culture and political figures, only to burn them down in what UNESCO calls an “intangible cultural heritage of humanity."

Didn’t make it out to Valencia this year? Take a look at the highlights of the celebration below, and make sure to add this surreal festival to your bucket list:

Falla Convento Jerusalen-Matematico Marzal

Photo: Love Valencia

This otherworldly structure took the first place prize of the special selection, the most important prize of the Fallas Festival. The Falla was created by artist Pedro Baenas Garcia.

Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, and Kim Jong-Un

Photo: Jose Jordan/ AFP

The festival is known for satirical “ninots” that portray popular figures. This one features the three world leaders from Russia, the United States, and North Korea with rockets in their hands and screenshots of their tweets around their feet.

Carles Puigdemont

Photo: Jose Jordan / AFP

The people of Valencia didn’t forget to invite Catalonia’s deposed leader to the festival, who was burned down in the streets of the city with the Catalan independence flag in hand.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Photo: Jose Jordan / AFP

Real Madrid’s superstar forward Cristiano Ronaldo stood atop roman ruins and golden soccer trophies as he was burned down on the last night of the Fallas Festival.

Photo: Jose Jordan / AFP

Fantasy characters star alongside politicians and celebrities in the colourful, often grotesque "ninots" -- groups of cardboard and polystyrene models built by local artists and placed in the streets.

 

 

 

The festival culminates in a mega firecracker storm on the city's main square is a deafening event known as "the earthquake" followed by an evening of fireworks.