Everything you need to know about Valencia's Fallas festival in March 2023
Valencia’s highly anticipated fiery Fallas festival is back, with the main days held from March 15th to 19th. Here’s everything you need to know about this year's event.
What is Valencia's Las Fallas festival?
Las Fallas is Valencia’s most important festival. The main festival is held in Valencia city, although there are smaller fallas celebrations throughout the region. During this crazy fiery festival, huge elaborate paper mâché sculptures called fallas are set up across the city. On the last night, they are ceremoniously burned during the Nit de la Cremà during a crazy fiery display.
In the days leading up to the burning, there are numerous firework displays, parades, and cultural events, which are all worth visiting.
It is thought that the tradition was started by the city’s carpenters who would celebrate the arrival of spring by burning the pieces of wood that held up their lights during winter. Gradually they began adding other scraps of wood and rags to the bonfires so that they somewhat resembled human figures, animals or other characters.
READ ALSO: Moving to Valencia: A guide to the best neighbourhoods to live in
This has evolved so much so that today the fallas can represent anything from satirical scenes featuring Spanish politicians to scenes from popular stories and legends. Prizes are awarded for the best ones.
A giant falla in Valencia. Photo: David Mark / Pixabay
When is it held?
Las Fallas is held throughout March, with the last few days from March 15th to the 19th, being the most important. The night of March 18th is also an important time during the festival when the Nit del Foc (Night of Fire) takes place with huge firework displays. The festival culminates on March 19th, when all the fallas are burned all together across the city.
If you plan on visiting this year, arrive a day or two earlier so that you can go around and marvel at all the fallas before they’re destroyed.
What can I expect to see?
Besides the fallas themselves, one of the most important events to watch is when groups of falleros dressed in traditional costume parade through the city streets to offer flowers to a giant statue of La Virgin – Our Lady of the Forsaken – in front of the Cathedral. Each bunch of flowers is added to her dress until her costume is entirely made up of fresh flowers.
READ ALSO: 11 Valencia life hacks that will make you feel like a local
The Mascletà is another event that shouldn’t be missed. Taking place at 2pm during each day of the festival, it’s a deafening display of hundreds of firecrackers, which almost seems to shake the city. Be aware, it's more about the noise and the atmosphere than being able to see them, as there are typically large crowds and they don’t produce colours, only white smoke.
Falleros during Valencia's Las Fallas. Photo: Dan Convey / Coffee and Caminos
Where else can I see Las Fallas festivals?
There are several other falla celebrations held across the Valencia region. Las Fallas events will also be taking towns of Dénia, Alzira, Burriana, Benidorm and Játiva around the same dates from March 15th to the 19th.
Top Tips:
- Don’t expect to get much sleep if you visit Valencia during Las Fallas, as loud firecrackers and fireworks are let off at any time of the day or night.
- When you’ve seen as many fallas as possible, choose your favourite to watch being burned, as all of them are set alight at the same time. This year, the burning of the children’s fallas will take place at 8pm on March 19th, followed by the burning of the larger fallas at 10pm. The winning falla will then be burnt at 10.30pm and the large falla in front of the town hall (ayuntamiento) at 11pm. To avoid crowds, access to this square may be restricted, so arrive early if you plan on watching this one.
- Make sure to try some of the traditional foods associated with Las Fallas. These include buñuelos de calabaza (pumpkin fritters) dipped in hot chocolate and churros. While in Valencia you should also sample some orxata or horchata – a sweet milk-like drink made from tiger nuts.
- It's difficult to park during Las Fallas and your car may get damaged, so we recommend taking public transport instead.
To learn more about Las Fallas while you’re there, visit the Museo Fallero.
A giant falla sculpture in Valencia. Photo: Rubén M. i Santos / Pixabay
Words you need to learn when visiting Las Fallas:
Fallero/Fallera
Falleros are the people who make the falla sculptures. During the festival, they will dress up in traditional Valencian costumes made from Valencian silk and lace.
Falleras are the females who make the falla sculptures. Each year one fallera is chosen to represent each group of falleros. It is she who is in charge of lighting her group's falla when the time comes. There is also a fallera mayor and a fallera mayor infantil – an older girl and a younger girl who are chosen for the whole city. They act like the festival queen and princess.
Ninots
Ninots are the individual character sculptures within the each falla. There can be up to around 10 in each big scene. Each year, the locals vote for their favourite ninot which will be saved from the flames. This ninot is called the Ninot Idultat, and rather than being burnt along the rest of its falla, will be preserved in the Fallero Museum.
A ninot at Valencia's Las Fallas festival. Photo: JOSE JORDAN / AFP
Mascletà
The mascletà is the huge firecracker display which takes place at 2pm every day during the festival.
Ofrenda
The offering of the flowers to the Virgin by the groups of falleros in traditional costumes.
Cremà
Cremà means burning, and the Nit de la Cremà or Night of the Burning takes place on the last day of the festival.
See Also
What is Valencia's Las Fallas festival?
Las Fallas is Valencia’s most important festival. The main festival is held in Valencia city, although there are smaller fallas celebrations throughout the region. During this crazy fiery festival, huge elaborate paper mâché sculptures called fallas are set up across the city. On the last night, they are ceremoniously burned during the Nit de la Cremà during a crazy fiery display.
In the days leading up to the burning, there are numerous firework displays, parades, and cultural events, which are all worth visiting.
It is thought that the tradition was started by the city’s carpenters who would celebrate the arrival of spring by burning the pieces of wood that held up their lights during winter. Gradually they began adding other scraps of wood and rags to the bonfires so that they somewhat resembled human figures, animals or other characters.
READ ALSO: Moving to Valencia: A guide to the best neighbourhoods to live in
This has evolved so much so that today the fallas can represent anything from satirical scenes featuring Spanish politicians to scenes from popular stories and legends. Prizes are awarded for the best ones.
When is it held?
Las Fallas is held throughout March, with the last few days from March 15th to the 19th, being the most important. The night of March 18th is also an important time during the festival when the Nit del Foc (Night of Fire) takes place with huge firework displays. The festival culminates on March 19th, when all the fallas are burned all together across the city.
If you plan on visiting this year, arrive a day or two earlier so that you can go around and marvel at all the fallas before they’re destroyed.
What can I expect to see?
Besides the fallas themselves, one of the most important events to watch is when groups of falleros dressed in traditional costume parade through the city streets to offer flowers to a giant statue of La Virgin – Our Lady of the Forsaken – in front of the Cathedral. Each bunch of flowers is added to her dress until her costume is entirely made up of fresh flowers.
READ ALSO: 11 Valencia life hacks that will make you feel like a local
The Mascletà is another event that shouldn’t be missed. Taking place at 2pm during each day of the festival, it’s a deafening display of hundreds of firecrackers, which almost seems to shake the city. Be aware, it's more about the noise and the atmosphere than being able to see them, as there are typically large crowds and they don’t produce colours, only white smoke.
Top Tips:
- Don’t expect to get much sleep if you visit Valencia during Las Fallas, as loud firecrackers and fireworks are let off at any time of the day or night.
- When you’ve seen as many fallas as possible, choose your favourite to watch being burned, as all of them are set alight at the same time. This year, the burning of the children’s fallas will take place at 8pm on March 19th, followed by the burning of the larger fallas at 10pm. The winning falla will then be burnt at 10.30pm and the large falla in front of the town hall (ayuntamiento) at 11pm. To avoid crowds, access to this square may be restricted, so arrive early if you plan on watching this one.
- Make sure to try some of the traditional foods associated with Las Fallas. These include buñuelos de calabaza (pumpkin fritters) dipped in hot chocolate and churros. While in Valencia you should also sample some orxata or horchata – a sweet milk-like drink made from tiger nuts.
- It's difficult to park during Las Fallas and your car may get damaged, so we recommend taking public transport instead.
To learn more about Las Fallas while you’re there, visit the Museo Fallero.
Words you need to learn when visiting Las Fallas:
Fallero/Fallera
Falleros are the people who make the falla sculptures. During the festival, they will dress up in traditional Valencian costumes made from Valencian silk and lace.
Falleras are the females who make the falla sculptures. Each year one fallera is chosen to represent each group of falleros. It is she who is in charge of lighting her group's falla when the time comes. There is also a fallera mayor and a fallera mayor infantil – an older girl and a younger girl who are chosen for the whole city. They act like the festival queen and princess.
Ninots
Ninots are the individual character sculptures within the each falla. There can be up to around 10 in each big scene. Each year, the locals vote for their favourite ninot which will be saved from the flames. This ninot is called the Ninot Idultat, and rather than being burnt along the rest of its falla, will be preserved in the Fallero Museum.
Mascletà
The mascletà is the huge firecracker display which takes place at 2pm every day during the festival.
Ofrenda
The offering of the flowers to the Virgin by the groups of falleros in traditional costumes.
Cremà
Cremà means burning, and the Nit de la Cremà or Night of the Burning takes place on the last day of the festival.
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