Fallas: Overview

What is Fallas?

Every year, from the 15th to the 19th of March, Valencia is transformed into a sort of gigantic outdoor museum, as a fiesta takes hold of the entire city. 

But what is Fallas? The name comes from a series of sculptures that are constructed all over Valencia, arising in every barrio in the weeks before the festival.

These Fallas take the form of massive papier-mâché monuments, a celebration of both artistry and satire, which are installed in the city’s streets and squares on the night of March 15th. For five days, they can be seen by locals and visitors alike, before being set on fire during the night of Saint Joseph in a spectacular event called la cremá. With the monuments comes the fiesta!

Valencia springs to life with street parties, fireworks displays, parades of falleras in traditional costume, and floral tributes. The sound of firecrackers fills the air, and the smell of smoke creeps into every corner of the city.

The Origins of a Festival

The origins of Fallas can be traced back to an ancient guild of carpenters. On the eve of Saint Joseph, their patron saint, the guild would burn old belongings and leftover stock in front of their workshops. Over time, these wooden structures were garbed in clothes and took on human-like forms, giving rise to the first ninots, or ‘dolls’. These ninots became figures of satire and ridicule over time, mirroring the worries and concerns of each generation.

Today, Fallas is one of the largest festivals in Spain, attracting over two million visitors a year. Over 800 Fallas monuments can be found across Valencia during the festival, so be sure to get your camera ready!