The complete guide to las Fallas in València: what to see, what to do and where to experience them at their best

Fallas in València fill the city with an atmosphere that is hard to put into words… It has to be experienced! This festival, which this year marks ten years since being recognised as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, transforms every corner into a celebration of music, colour and gunpowder. To help you make the most of your break, here are the essential plans to organise your days.

What happens during las Fallas in València?

When do las Fallas take place in València? The festivities officially begin on the last Sunday of February with the Crida, the call to the entire fallero community from the Serranos Towers. However, everything gathers pace from 1 March, with the spectacular mascletàs held every day at 2 pm in Plaza del Ayuntamiento. The main days of the festival run from 14 to 19 March. Here is the definitive roadmap to las Fallas, but first, a tip: the best way to get around València during Fallas is on foot or by bike.

• Ninot indultado: on 15 March, the long-awaited announcement is made of which creation by the fallas artists will be saved from the fire, after being on display for a month at the Exposició del Ninot.

• La Nit de la Plantà: on the night of 15 to 16 March, fallas artists and commissions erect the monuments across the city. It is the perfect moment to wander the streets and watch these works of art come to life.

• Pasacalles: between 15 and 19 March, marching bands accompany falleras and falleros as they parade through the streets of their neighbourhoods. These are wonderful moments to admire the craftsmanship of traditional dress.

• Sección Especial route: if you’re wondering which fallas to see in València, start with the Sección Especial monuments—the most arresting and impressive of them all.

• La Ofrenda de Flores: on 17 and 18 March, thousands of falleros take part in a procession carrying carnations and dressed in traditional costume, in an event filled with emotion and colour. Where does the offering to the Virgin take place? A marked route through the city centre leads all the way to Plaza de la Virgen.

• Nights of 16, 17 and 18 March: these evenings are marked by dazzling fireworks displays. Pay special attention to the one on 18 March, known as Nit del Foc, which is sure to impress.

• The night of la Cremà: on the afternoon of 19 March, the children’s fallas are burned, followed gradually by the monuments across each neighbourhood, as the city bids farewell to them in a dramatic blaze of fire.

Gastronomy and spectacle: eating during the Fallas of València

What traditional food is eaten during Fallas? From one falla to the next, stopping to refuel is almost a ritual. Eating during the Fallas of València is a pleasure that ranges from stalls serving hot chocolate with pumpkin doughnuts to open-air, wood-fired paella competitions, where aroma and flavour fill the streets of every neighbourhood.

Let the colours, smells and sounds of the Fallas in València work their magic. It’s an experience you’ll remember long after the last spark.