Las Fallas festival in Valencia - party in Spain

If you happen to be near Valencia in March, don't miss the fantastic Las Fallas festival! Or why not travel here just for this long, colourful celebration? Las Fallas is a multi-day celebration that includes everything from huge statues to flower parades and 'fireworks'.

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The folk festival Las Fallas

The Las Fallas festival usually runs from 15-19 March, but this year it started on 1 March. And the preparations have probably been going on for most of the year! The town yesterday was full of people in a festive mood. The streets were full of stalls serving beer and all kinds of food, the children were running around with firecrackers and outside every little bar and restaurant young and old were crowded.

We were so lucky to have local guides! We had the opportunity to meet our blogger friends behind the exciting blog. Svensson against the current, which is about both Spain and design. Eva and Peter live in Valencia and are dedicated Las Fallas participants. We really couldn't have better guides! And besides, we had a very nice day and evening together!

Peter med våra bloggvänner och fantastiska Valencia-guider, Peter och Eva — Peter with our blogger friends and fantastic Valencia guides, Peter and Eva.

Festival with a long history

Las Fallas has a long history and, if we understand correctly, it was originally a celebration of spring and the vernal equinox. Later, the celebration became associated with the saint of carpenters, Saint José. In the Middle Ages, during the dark season, carpenters had to work by the light of oil lamps hanging from wooden figures.

When the light season arrived, the carpenters made a ceremony of burning the wooden figures. Over time, the figures became more and more human, eventually resulting in huge and amazing sculptures, 'phalluses', which are still burned at the end of the festival!

Idag är skulpturerna enorma och helt fantastiska skapelser — Today, the sculptures are huge and amazing creations.

Mascleta - daily 'firecracker' displays

Every day at 14:00, from 1 March to 19 March, it is mascleta in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento in Valencia. Together with lots of people, we crowded the square to experience the 'fireworks' which were an escalating sound experience, more than a sight experience. As the sound rose to a crescendo and the ground vibrated, dense fog filled the air.

Today's phallus - huge statues throughout the city

The main thing that people associate with the Las Fallas festival is the huge and amazing statues that are erected all over the city. The statues are erected during 15 March and by dusk on 16 March they are all completed. Each statue has some sort of theme, often featuring celebrities or politicians in various satirical or humorous situations. The statues are built from Styrofoam on top of wooden frames and are festively burned at the end of the festival.

In total, there are about 500 statues from as many different local associations, which then compete against each other in different prize categories. Each association also enters two statues - an 'adult' and a 'child' statue. The most expensive statue has a budget of EUR 230 000, so it's a lot of money!

Las fallas festival — One of the statues, which deals with the problematic relationship between Spain and Britain throughout history, is being finalised.

Fallas statyer — Here is the top of the statue with the biggest budget - €230,000!

Stadens egen falla, som eldas upp sist av alla — The city's own fall, which is the last to be burned.

Flower parade

Another part of Las Fallas is the flower parade, so people all regional associations participate with members in traditional dress, standard bearers and their own music band. The flowers are carried to the Plaza de la Virgen, where the saint Our Lady of the Forsaken is dressed with all the flowers. You can see even more pictures in our post on flower parade in Valencia.

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Las fallas by night

The festivities of Las Fallas in Valencia don't end just because it's evening and night. Quite the contrary! People are everywhere and the small stalls in the streets serve everything from beer, fruit drinks and mojitos to candy bars, churros and anything that can be deep-fried. The huge statues are lit up and look even more impressive, if possible.

You can also experience impressive "light shows" and fireworks. Two different light shows were competing against each other when we checked. In both cases, there were huge stands set up, and when it was time, the streets were crowded, crowded with people wanting to see the light show, which was accompanied by music.

Fireworks

At midnight, it's time for the fireworks, and no expense is spared. The biggest fireworks show is the one called "Nit del Foc" (Night of Fire), which is organised on the last evening. We loaded up with sangria and grilled hamburgers at our friends Eva and Peter's house. Perfect warm-up! Eva and Peter had a Swedish friend visiting and had also invited a couple of Russian friends over, and it was a very nice evening.

At 01:30 at night, crowds of people gathered at the Paseo de la Alameda to watch the final and most powerful fireworks display of Las Fallas. Over 2.5 tonnes of gunpowder were used and the fireworks lasted for 20 minutes. And yes, it was probably the most powerful fireworks we've seen. But don't think the festival is over because of that! After this, it's time for the fire parade and the burning of statues...

Stort och imponerande fyrverkeri vid midnatt

Burning end to Las Fallas

After several days of festival, it's time for the 'Cabalgata del Fuego' (parade of fire) and 'La Crema', the burning of all those marvellous statues. This means that 500 statues, sometimes 20-25 metres high and made of wood and styrofoam, are burned in narrow alleys in the middle of the city while all the people in the city crowd around to watch. This would hardly have been allowed in Sweden ...

16 March 2015 11:52

Spain

festival, Motorhome holiday Spain, metropolis, experiences in Europe

Helena

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20 Comments

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Bosse and Gerd says:

This festival is definitely worth a "separate" trip - we will be travelling here sometime to experience all this !
BUT, actually a bit sad to burn such beautiful creations as all these amazing statues !
Hugs from Benidorm
Bosse and Gerd

16 March 2015 - 13:06

Reply
Mr Steve says:

Fantastic statues. With such creations, preparations for next year's Las Fallas must surely start on 20 March.
Absolutely perfect with Swedish Valencians as guides.
Have fun!

16 March 2015 - 14:02

Reply
Anja says:

Oh! Festival at last! What a happening! It will be fun to follow!

16 March 2015 - 14:07

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BP says:

What a great post, or rather what a great party with great sculptures. However, it pains me that these wonderful creations are then burned. It's like burning works of art - or well, why not money directly. What a shame!

16 March 2015 - 14:39

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Bosse and Gerd, it's definitely worth making a trip here! And yes, we also thought that it feels a bit awful to burn all these nice statues!

Steve, well I'm also guessing that preparations for next year will start quite soon...
😉

Anja, it really is a festival! Glad you want to follow!
🙂

BP, yes, it feels a bit of a shame to burn them! We also think that a lot of money is being spent here. But of course, the party also attracts a lot of tourists and visitors.

16 March 2015 - 14:46

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Eva Svensson says:

Hi! I'm glad to read what you've written. How nice to read what you wrote. It made perfect sense! We will contact you again soon. Have a good time for now! Hugs

16 March 2015 - 16:02

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Ama de casa says:

Yes, then I got to see pictures again... Nice!
😀

Next year... I planned so badly that I missed both Schlagern and the festival!
🙂

16 March 2015 - 17:46

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Eva, but so good that it was right ... then we listened to our guides fairly well then! *ler* Thank you so much for yesterday!!! Peter has seemed to go on some flu, so we'll see how things develop... we are home and resting today. But we'll be in touch!

Ama de casa, I bet you get to see a lot of other things that the rest of us miss.
😉

16 March 2015 - 17:59

Reply
Lennart says:

Perfect with such guides!

What would life be like without a blog and a motorhome?

Live well!

16 March 2015 - 18:28

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Ditte says:

Another year we will be in Valencia when it is festival time. Understand that it is a cool folk life and then comes Easter which is also celebrated heavily, but in a slightly different way. But there is a party then too.
It's a bit sad that the sculptures are being burned, but you can still see them.
Great with local guides.
Have a great time and celebrate.

16 March 2015 - 18:48

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Åsa says:

Wonderful! And perfect that you have guides! I have calculated and found that I was there in 1992 or maybe 1993! A whole eternity ago! I had guides in the form of a Spanish couple who I met when I worked in the Austrian Alps and who invited me to visit during the Fallas festival! I had no idea what it was but it was a positive surprise! Looking forward to more pictures!

16 March 2015 - 18:57

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Lennart, can only agree, blog and motorhome are great!
🙂

Ditte, Easter sounds exciting too, but I guess we'll be in France by then....

Åsa, exciting, yes it was a few years ago! We read a bit on the Internet before we travelled here, but we didn't really know much either. And we are so far only positively surprised!

16 March 2015 - 19:04

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Anonymous says:

Nice that we got to see some of the Fallas Festival on your blog, great creations, sad that they are burned up, also gunpowder smoke in quantities, maybe for the last time as Sp got EU points for having to improve the environment ;-/
Get well soon Peter 🙂 maybe festival snow ;-/

16 March 2015 - 20:49

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Casa Annika says:

Awesome! Spain has incredible, unexpected festivities to offer!

17 March 2015 - 1:12

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Marina says:

It really sounds like it could be something to invest in for some years to come. And I understand that you have another bunch of wonderful festival days ahead of you (and hopefully me too!).

17 March 2015 - 5:42

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Mr Lars Andersson says:

Hello!
It must be worth travelling there, just to experience such a festival. Fun with so many nice pictures
And lyrics, almost like you're in it yourself.

Goodbye!
Lars and Inger

17 March 2015 - 10:32

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FANTASYDINING-A blog about themed restaurants and travel says:

You're right, this is really something for me. The funny thing is that I've been thinking about going there this year. There is even a note on my fridge that says Valencia in March. However, it was not possible to go because the festival was on my work week. So fun to see some photos from there.

In Valencia there was also a restaurant I was interested in. You sat and ate in an aquarium type.

17 March 2015 - 10:45

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Comment by post author

admin says:

Anonymous, it's a bit sad that the statues are being burned, but that's part of it I guess. There has been a lot of gunpowder smoke, we must say. And it is a considerable amount of money that is spent...

Casa Annika, yes they are good at partying! We are a bit bad at that in Sweden. And after we stopped with the Water Festival, we don't have a really big party in Stockholm, a bit sad.

Marina, this festival is really worth a visit! And yes, there are more things happening in the next few days!

Lars and Inger, the festival is truly an experience! It's great that you feel like you're in a corner!
😉

FantasyDining, how nice that you thought about going here! Really recommended if it fits any other year! Sounds fun and crazy with the aquarium restaurant!
😉

17 March 2015 - 10:56

Reply
FANTASYDINING-A blog about themed restaurants and travel says:

Oceanographic circular restaurant in the City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia.

17 March 2015 - 11:00

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random elegance says:

For me, it is completely unbelievable that after several months of creation they burn the figures, but that's what the whole tradition is about... Besides that, the whole Las Fallas festival seems to be very cool. Definitely something I'd like to experience, so I'll add that assignment to my "to do" list!

28 November 2019 - 10:29

Reply

Las Fallas festival in Valencia - party in Spain

The folk festival Las Fallas

Festival with a long history

Mascleta - daily 'firecracker' displays

Today's phallus - huge statues throughout the city

Flower parade

Las fallas by night

Fireworks

Burning end to Las Fallas

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20 Comments

Bosse and Gerd says:

Mr Steve says:

Anja says:

BP says:

admin says:

Eva Svensson says:

Ama de casa says:

admin says:

Lennart says:

Ditte says:

Åsa says:

admin says:

Anonymous says:

Casa Annika says:

Marina says:

Mr Lars Andersson says:

FANTASYDINING-A blog about themed restaurants and travel says:

admin says:

FANTASYDINING-A blog about themed restaurants and travel says:

random elegance says:

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