Every March, Valencia turns into one huge open-air party. During Las Fallas, hundreds of enormous, satirical artworks made of wood, cardboard and polystyrene appear in the streets, deafening firework shows boom every afternoon, and everything ends in a night when almost all the monuments go up in flames. Since 2016 the festival has been on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage.
✅ Free entry — all street parties, mascletàs, parades and the Cremà are free to attend. Only grandstand or balcony seats are paid.
What are Las Fallas?
A falla is a monument, sometimes more than twenty metres tall, built from colourful figures (ninots) that poke fun at politics, celebrities and current affairs. Every neighbourhood has its own casal faller that works on it for a whole year. Around 750 fallas fill the city – large ones plus smaller children’s versions – and on the final night they all go up in flames. Only the most popular ninot, chosen by the public (ninot indultat), is saved and given a place in the Museo Fallero.
Programme and highlights
- La Crida (expected Sunday 28 February 2027) – official opening at the Torres de Serranos
- Mascletàs (1–19 March, daily at 14:00) – deafening rhythmic fireworks on the Plaza del Ayuntamiento
- La Plantà (15–16 March) – the children’s fallas go up on 15 March, the big monuments on 16 March
- La Ofrenda (17–18 March) – thousands of falleras in traditional dress bring flowers to the Virgin Mary, together forming a giant floral statue on the Plaza de la Virgen
- Nit del Foc (night of 18 to 19 March) – the biggest night-time fireworks of the festival, around 01:30 on the Paseo de la Alameda
- La Cremà (19 March) – all the fallas are burned: children’s fallas around 20:00, the big fallas from 22:00 and, after midnight, the falla on the town hall square
Tips for your visit
Arrive early for the mascletà: the area around the town hall square is packed from 12:00. Bring earplugs (especially for children), wear sturdy shoes and book your accommodation months in advance – Valencia is full around 15–19 March. In between, try the typical buñuelos de calabaza with hot chocolate and, of course, a real paella valenciana. For the Cremà: pick a smaller falla in a neighbourhood such as Ruzafa or El Carmen for fewer crowds and a far more intimate atmosphere.
Practical information
- Date: 1–19 March 2027 (peak 15–19 March)
- Location: city-wide, centred on the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, Valencia (Spain)
- Admission: free
- Website: visitvalencia.com
Las Fallas is not a festival you watch, it is a party that happens to you: gunpowder in the air, brass bands on every corner and an entire city turned upside down for three weeks. Anyone who has experienced the Cremà once will never forget that night.