Fallas 2027: The Complete Guide

What is Fallas?

If you're new to Valencia, Fallas (Les Falles in Valencian) is the city's biggest festival - and one of the largest in all of Europe. Recognized by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage, it runs from March 1 to 19 every year (this year, 1 to 19 March 2027), though the final five days (March 15 to 19) are when things really take off.

At its core, Fallas is about building massive artistic monuments - often satirical, sometimes political, always impressive - and then burning them all on the final night. Hundreds of neighborhood groups (comisiones falleras) spend months (and tens of thousands of euros) creating these works of art, only to set them on fire in a spectacular ritual called La Crema.

But Fallas is much more than the burning. Expect daily firework shows that shake your windows, flower parades, street parties, all-night verbenas, churro stands on every corner, and a general atmosphere of organized chaos that takes over the entire city for nearly three weeks.

Things Nobody Tells You Before Your First Fallas

• Close your windows. Starting March 1 and especially March 15-19, keep all windows shut if you live anywhere near a falla monument. Ash, smoke, and noise will get in.
• Don't hang laundry outside. Your clothes will smell like gunpowder for days.
• Move your car. If you park on the street near a falla, move it before March 15 or you may not be able to get it out until the 20th. Vehicles have been damaged by embers during La Crema.
• Sleep is optional. From March 15-19, firecrackers go off around the clock. The despertà (wake-up call) starts at 8:00 AM with marching bands and firecrackers through the streets. This is not a gentle wake-up.
• Your commute will double. Bus routes change, metro stations close, streets are blocked. Build in extra time for everything.

Fallas by the Numbers

Fallas is one of the biggest street festivals in Europe, and the scale is hard to overstate. Here is roughly what the city pulls off every March:

Each year the leading commissions spend over a million euros combined on monuments that will stand for only a few days before they burn. The biggest fallas tower over the streets, and many in recent years have leaned into themes of peace, sustainability, and social commentary, with commissions increasingly using eco-friendly materials. The city also recognizes the most environmentally responsible monuments with a sustainability award.

The Fallas Gala

One of the most anticipated events of the Fallas season is the official gala, where the year's prizes and the leading figures of the festival are celebrated. It is now held at the Roig Arena, which has considerably more capacity than the old venue, so your odds of getting in are better than they used to be. If you have never been before, it is worth trying for tickets: the larger hall means more seats than in years past.

Dates and Schedule for 2027

Fallas 2027 runs from 1 to 19 March. The calendar below follows the festival's fixed structure, which repeats on the same dates every year. While a few times are confirmed closer to the festival, the big events always happen during the final week (15 to 19 March), known as la semana fallera.

Pre-Fallas (Late January to February)

March 1 to 14: Warm-Up

March 15 to 19: The Big Days

Where to Watch

Mascleta (daily, 14:00)

Plaza del Ayuntamiento is the main venue. Arrive by 13:00-13:15 if you want a decent spot - it fills up fast. The mascleta is not about visual fireworks; it's a percussive, full-body experience designed to be felt as much as heard. Bring earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones.

La Crida (late February)

Held at the Torres de Serranos, the medieval city gates. The Fallera Mayor officially opens the festivities from the tower. Tens of thousands of people typically attend, so arrive early. The surrounding streets fill up with bands and fireworks afterwards.

Ninot Exhibition (February to mid-March)

Held at the Museu de les Ciencies (City of Arts and Sciences). Every year it gathers hundreds of ninots from the city's commissions, draws tens of thousands of visitors, and lets the public vote. Admission is a few euros. The winner - the Ninot Indultat - is pardoned from the flames and joins the permanent collection at the Museo Fallero.

La Crema (March 19) Viewing Tips

• Best neighborhood view: Pick a smaller neighborhood falla where you can get closer without massive crowds. Ruzafa, El Carmen, and Benimaclet are popular with visitors.
• The big one: The Falla Municipal at Plaza del Ayuntamiento burns last, around 23:00. The plaza fills hours before - firefighters control the perimeter.
• Wear closed shoes. Hot embers, firecrackers, and ash are everywhere.
• Stay upwind. The smoke can be intense.

Getting Around During Fallas

Getting around Valencia during Fallas requires some planning. Public transport carries millions of extra passengers across the festival period, and the city lays on reinforced metro and bus service to cope. Here's what to know:

Metro (Metrovalencia)

• Continuous round-the-clock service typically runs from mid-March through the morning after La Crema, with many extra trips laid on.
• Station closures: The central Xativa and Colon stations close around midday (roughly 12:30 to 14:30) on the main days for mascleta safety, with extra nighttime closures on the busiest nights. Use Bailen or Angel Guimera as alternatives.
• Free parking: There are over a thousand free park-and-ride spaces at surface stations on the city outskirts, plus a large dissuasive car park at Valencia Sud with direct metro access.
• Bicycles, scooters, and fireworks are banned on the metro network during the festival, and extra security staff are deployed throughout.

Renfe (Cercanias)

Renfe adds extra high-speed and long-distance capacity into Valencia during festival week. Note that Cercanias services can be cut short or rerouted during the midday mascleta window on the main days, so check the latest service status and use the shuttle buses where they run.

Buses (EMT)

• Round-the-clock bus service runs across the main days, with dozens of modified routes and reinforced capacity.
• Many bus routes are diverted due to street closures around falla monuments. Check the EMT Valencia app for real-time route changes.

Taxis

Taxis are an option, but during the mascleta window (roughly 13:00 to 15:00) and after dark, road closures around the center make them slow and hard to find. Public transport is almost always faster on the main days.

Cycling

Valencia sets up secure bike parking areas during Fallas. Valenbisi (the public bike-share system) is an option, but be prepared for some bike lanes to be blocked by monuments or crowds.

Safety and Crowds

Fallas is generally safe, with a very large police presence mounted every year during the main days. That said, a few million people in the streets means you should stay aware.

Security Measures

• Drone surveillance: Valencia's police drone unit monitors crowds and fireworks areas for safety and fire detection.
• Emergency crews: For La Crema, the provincial fire service deploys hundreds of personnel and dozens of vehicles, after inspecting the monuments and stationing crews at the ones rated highest risk. Emergency 112 staffing is boosted during Fallas week, with the biggest increases on the busiest nights.
• Puntos Violeta: Anti-violence safety points staffed by professionals operate at strategic locations during the main days, alongside a sexual violence prevention protocol with participating nightlife venues, free drink-testing kits, and a mobile support unit.
• Firecrackers: They are everywhere - thrown in the streets, tossed from balconies. This is not exaggeration. Watch your step and keep children close. Illegal firecrackers remain a problem despite enforcement.

Firework Restrictions

Private fireworks are only allowed within set time windows during the festival, generally late at night and early morning, and they are banned outright in the Jardin del Turia and in playgrounds. Recommended quiet hours are roughly 09:00 to 10:00 and 15:00 to 17:00. Some neighborhoods run responsible-fireworks campaigns asking people not to set off petardos in residential streets.

Weather and Wind

March weather in Valencia is unpredictable, and the city now follows a formal weather safety protocol with alert levels. Events, including mascletas, can and do get canceled or moved due to rain or high winds, and strong gusts have occasionally forced parts of the tallest monuments to be removed or fenced off for safety. If the forecast looks rough, check the Ayuntamiento's social media or the Junta Central Fallera website on the day for last-minute changes before heading out.

Personal Safety Tips

• Keep your phone and wallet in front pockets or a cross-body bag. Pickpockets thrive in dense crowds.
• Know your emergency exits when watching the Crema - fallas are large and the fire gets genuinely hot. Seriously: the heat from a large falla burning can be felt from 30+ meters away.
• Wear ear protection for mascletas - they regularly exceed 120 dB. Standard foam earplugs from any pharmacy (farmacia) work fine.
• If you have respiratory issues, the smoke from La Crema can be a problem. Avoid standing downwind of burning monuments.

Pets and Animal Welfare

Fallas is tough on animals. The constant fireworks and firecrackers cause extreme stress for dogs and cats.

• Keep pets indoors during mascletas (14:00 daily) and especially on March 18 (Nit del Foc) and March 19 (La Crema).
• Green scarf campaign: the city has run campaigns handing out green scarves to dog owners to raise awareness about the noise impact on pets.
• Sensory sensitivity kits: kits are distributed for people and pets who are sensitive to loud noise.
• Quiet hours: Recommended quiet periods are 09:00-10:00 and 15:00-17:00. Private fireworks are restricted to specific hours (see Safety section), but enforcement is spotty. Expect random bangs from early March through the 19th.
• Talk to your vet about anti-anxiety medication if your pet is particularly sensitive to loud noise.

Living Through Fallas as a Resident

If you live in Valencia, Fallas is not something you go and see: it happens outside your front door. For about three weeks your street may host a falla monument, a commission's tent and a party stage, and from 15 to 19 March the centre of Valencia runs on festival rules. This section is for people who live in the city: what changes at home, how to get to work, what to do with children and pets, and how to take part properly instead of just putting up with it.

What changes in my street during Fallas in Valencia?

If a falla commission has its site on your street, expect the road to narrow in early March and close almost completely during the main week. Each commission is allowed one main monument, one children's monument, one tent (carpa), one fireworks zone, one activities zone and one bunyol stall, according to the 2026 bando fallero (the city's Fallas rulebook, approved by the Ajuntament's Junta de Gobierno Local in November 2025). The bando for 2027 is normally approved in the autumn before, so check valencia.es from November 2026 for the exact dates below.

Can I drive to my home or use my garage during Fallas?

Yes, if you can prove you live there, but it gets awkward. In 2026 traffic was banned across the whole area inside the old Turia riverbed from 15:00 on Monday 16 March until 04:00 on Friday 20 March. Buses, taxis, emergency and official vehicles could still circulate, and so could residents showing proof of address (DNI or NIE with the address, a rental contract, the IBI property-tax receipt or a resident card). The Ajuntament recommended residents enter between 06:30 and 11:00, and allowed loading and unloading from 06:30 to 12:30 (valencia.es, March 2026). Before the 16th, the streets around Plaza del Ayuntamiento are cut before and after each daily mascleta.

• Garages: if your garage exit is inside a cordoned area, you cannot get in or out while an event is on there. The city's own advice is to plan around it, not to argue with the police line.
• Street parking: under the 2026 bando, blue-zone (ORA) paid parking was suspended, the orange zone was reserved for residents only, and the green zone worked as normal.
• Our advice: if you park on the street near a falla, move the car to a garage or an outer neighbourhood before La Planta on the 15th and leave it there until the 20th.

In 2027, 16 March falls on a Tuesday. Expect the same shape of closure; the Ajuntament announces the exact times in the days before.

How loud is Fallas, and which days are the worst?

The loudest stretch is 15 to 19 March, when the despertà wakes the neighbourhood in the morning, the mascleta goes off at 14:00, and parties run late every night. Before that, the noise builds in waves: the daily mascleta in Plaza del Ayuntamiento at 14:00 runs from 1 to 19 March (2026 pyrotechnic calendar, Visit Valencia), and you can hear it well beyond the old town.

Firecrackers in the street have their own timetable. Under the 2026 bando, as reported by several Valencia outlets (El Debate, Valencia Extra, Valencia Bonita), private firecrackers were allowed from 8 March, but banned:

• 8 to 13 March: between 22:00 and 07:30
• 14 to 19 March: between 02:00 and 07:30
• 20 March: from 00:00, except what the Crema itself needs

The Ajuntament also asks people not to set off firecrackers between 09:00 and 10:00 and between 15:00 and 17:00, for residents' rest and for animals, but that is a recommendation, not a ban, so nobody is fined for ignoring it. Firecrackers are banned outright in the Jardin del Turia and in children's playgrounds.

How do I get to work during Fallas?

Walk or take the metro. From 16 March the centre is closed to cars and almost every bus line changes route, so anything on wheels is slow.

• Metrovalencia: in 2026 metro and tram ran non-stop from 13 March until the early hours of 20 March, 168 hours in a row, the first time Metrovalencia had ever done it (FGV, March 2026). Xativa and Colon stations closed to the public between 12:30 and 14:30 from 14 to 19 March for the mascleta. FGV announces its exact Fallas plan in early March (in 2026, around 10 March), so check before assuming the same hours in 2027.
• EMT buses: in 2026 EMT ran 24 hours a day from 15 March until the early hours of 20 March, and from 16 March most lines were diverted to end at Plaza de Espana, the Grandes Vias or Porta de la Mar (EMT Valencia, March 2026). If your usual bus crosses the centre, check the EMT app the night before: your stop may simply not be served.
• Bike and scooter: fine for getting to the edge of the centre, hopeless inside it on the main days. Lock up outside the closed area and walk the last stretch.
• Time it: the hardest hours to cross the centre are roughly 12:30 to 15:00 (mascleta crowds) and every evening from about 20:00.

Crowds near Plaza del Ayuntamiento

If you live or work near Plaza del Ayuntamiento, Xativa or Colon, the mascleta changes your whole day: streets fill from late morning, the square is fenced, and leaving after 14:10 means shuffling with tens of thousands of people. Do errands in the morning, eat lunch late, and avoid the Calle de la Paz and Calle San Vicente routes to Plaza de la Virgen on the afternoons and evenings of 17 and 18 March, when the Ofrenda flower parade fills them. On the main days, give yourself double the time you normally need to cross the centre.

Fallas with children: school, noise and ear protection

For the 2026-27 school year, the Generalitat set term from 9 September 2026 to 18 June 2027, with 19 March a non-school day everywhere in the Comunitat Valenciana and the Easter holidays from 25 March to 5 April 2027 (GVA school calendar, reported September 2026). On top of that, each town chooses a few local non-school days.

In the city of Valencia, the Consell Escolar Municipal proposed in summer 2026 that Monday 15 to Thursday 18 March 2027 be non-school days, which with the weekend and 19 March would give children nine days off in a row (13 to 21 March). To make up for them, 22 and 23 December 2026 would become school days. As of August 2026 this was still pending approval by the Generalitat's Direccion General de Centros, so check with your school before you book anything. Towns outside the city set their own days.

• Ear protection: children's ears are more sensitive than adults'. Proper ear defenders (the over-ear kind sold for babies and children) are worth it for the mascleta and the Crema; foam earplugs are a choking risk for small children.
• Firecrackers at child height: petardos are thrown in the street by children and teenagers, and they land at knee height. Hold small children's hands in crowded streets and keep pushchairs away from groups setting them off.
• Child-friendly timing: the children's fallas burn earlier on the 19th than the big ones, and the morning hours (before the despertà crowds and after 10:00) are the calmest for walking around the monuments.

Pets: the resident's version

On top of the advice in the pets section above, two things help when you live here. First, the Jardin del Turia is a firecracker-free zone under the bando, which makes it the calmest place in the city to walk a dog. Second, the Ajuntament's recommended firecracker-free hours (09:00 to 10:00 and 15:00 to 17:00) are the best walking windows; avoid 13:30 to 14:30 anywhere near the centre, when the mascleta can be heard across most of the city.

What should I do at home on Crema night?

If a falla burns near your building, follow the Ajuntament's and the fire brigade's standing advice: close doors, windows and shutters, retract awnings, and take clothes, cushions and anything else that can burn off balconies and terraces. If your garage is inside a cordoned area, you will not be able to get in or out while the monument burns. In 2026 the large fallas burned from 22:00 and the municipal falla in Plaza del Ayuntamiento at 23:00. For any emergency, call 112.

Expect ash on everything the next morning. In 2026 the city deployed around 600 workers and 300 vehicles on Crema night alone to clear the remains (valencia.es, March 2026), so the streets are usually passable again by the morning of the 20th, but balconies and cars nearby will need a wash.

Rubbish and recycling during Fallas

Your usual rubbish container may move. In 2026 the Ajuntament's special Fallas cleaning plan (EUR 3.2 million, running 28 February to 23 March) relocated more than 2,500 large containers away from monuments and closed streets, added extra bins and ash containers, and installed 603 portable toilets (valencia.es, 2 March 2026). Containers went back to their usual spots between 20 and 23 March. If your bin disappears, look one or two streets away from the monument, and never leave bags next to a falla: it is a fire risk and the commission can be fined. Many commissions run their own recycling points at the carpa.

Errands, deliveries and booking things

• Shop before the 19th. 19 March is a holiday and most shops close. In 2027 it is a Friday, so stock up by Thursday the 18th for a long weekend.
• Move deliveries and tradespeople. With street works banned from 7 to 19 March (2026 bando) and the centre closed to vans from the afternoon of the 16th, book removals, furniture deliveries and repairs for before 7 March or after the 20th.
• Hosting friends? Hotels fill up for the main days, so if visitors are coming to stay, tell them to book early. Restaurants near the big monuments are busiest on the 18th and 19th.
• Doctor and admin appointments: anything in the centre from 15 to 19 March means fighting crowds and diverted buses. Book them for the week before or after if you can.

How do I join a falla?

Find the commission whose casal (clubhouse) is nearest to you and walk in: most are happy to take new members, foreigners included, and joining is the fastest way to stop being a spectator in your own neighbourhood. Members pay a fee, go to dinners and events at the casal all year, march in the Ofrenda in traditional dress, and are at the monument on Crema night. Commissions usually take new members after Fallas, when their new year begins, but you can ask at any time.

• Cost: a typical adult membership fee is around EUR 350 to 400 a year (roughly EUR 30 to 40 a month), though it varies a lot between commissions (COPE Valencia, March 2025). On top of that, a study by the Ajuntament and University of Valencia's Mesval chair (2023) found the average fallero spends around EUR 638 a year, not counting the fee, mostly on traditional dress, food and lottery tickets.
• Traditional dress: the biggest cost. Basic fabric for a fallera dress starts at around EUR 300 to 400, and a complete outfit can reach about EUR 3,000 (COPE Valencia, March 2025). Many newcomers borrow or buy second-hand in their first year.
• Language: casal life runs in Spanish and Valencian. You don't need to be fluent, and it's one of the best places in the city to practise.

Should I leave Valencia during Fallas?

Plenty of residents do, and it is a reasonable choice if you have a newborn, a dog that panics at fireworks, or night shifts. In 2027 the obvious window is Saturday 13 to Sunday 21 March, which is also the nine-day school break if the city's proposal is approved. If you leave, book transport early, check that your car is not parked in a falla zone, and close windows and shutters before you go. If you stay, even one Crema watched from your own corner, with neighbours you will recognise all year, is worth it.

Exhibitions and Culture

Ninot Exhibition (February to mid-March)

The weeks-long exhibition at the Museu de les Ciencies showcases hundreds of figures from the city's commissions and draws tens of thousands of visitors, who cast their votes for the figure they want saved. Alongside the main public vote, juries hand out specialist prizes each year, including ones for sustainability and for science communication.

The Ninot Indultat

Each year the public votes to pardon one large ninot and one children's ninot from the flames. The two winning Ninot Indultat figures are pulled from their monuments before La Crema and preserved for good at the Museo Fallero, so the exhibition is your one chance to see them in context before they are rescued.

Museo Fallero

Located on Plaza Monteolivete, this museum houses decades of pardoned ninots - a fascinating walk through Valencia's social and political history told through satirical art. Worth a visit any time of year, but especially relevant during Fallas season.

The Monuments Themselves

With over 300 fallas planted across the city, the streets become an open-air art gallery during the main days. Many commissions invest anywhere from EUR 50,000 to well over 250,000 in their monuments, and the elite fallas of the Seccion Especial spend over a million euros between them. The top monuments compete for prizes, and the rivalry between the leading commissions is fierce: a single workshop can dominate the top category for several years running.

Award-Winning Streets

Beyond the monuments themselves, commissions compete for the title of best-illuminated street. The winning neighborhoods string up hundreds of thousands of LED lights into vast, choreographed displays that turn the streets into a spectacle after dark. Walk these streets after sunset to experience them at their best: the lighting competition is one of the most popular free attractions of the whole festival.

Accessibility

In recent years the festival has added audiodescription so that visually impaired visitors can experience the monuments through detailed audio guides, making the artwork more accessible to everyone.

Practical Tips

Food and Drink

• Churros and bunyols are essential Fallas food. Well over a hundred licensed stalls set up across the city for the festival, all health-inspected. Bunyols are the Valencian specialty - fried pumpkin doughnuts that you won't find outside of Fallas season. Expect to pay roughly EUR 7 to 12 a dozen for bunyols and EUR 5 to 10 a dozen for churros.
• Gluten-free option: Churros Numerosos (Calle de Jesus / Pintor Benedito) offers olive oil-fried, gluten-free churros.
• Local favorites include Horchateria Daniel, Churros Numerosos, and the century-old bakery El Contraste near the Mercado Central.
• Street food stalls and pop-up bars appear in every neighborhood with a falla commission.

School Calendar

19 March is a non-school day across the Comunitat Valenciana, and each town adds its own local days, so whether schools also close earlier in Fallas week depends on where you live and on that year's calendar. For the 2027 details, see Living Through Fallas as a Resident. Many children's fallas and events are designed specifically for younger audiences.

Verbenas (Street Parties)

Nearly every falla commission hosts verbenas - outdoor parties with live music, DJs, and drinks. These typically run late into the night (or early morning). Some of the best ones are in smaller neighborhoods where the atmosphere is more local and less touristy. Bad weather can force last-minute cancellations, since organizers prioritize safety, so always check the day-of schedule.

Bullfighting

The Fallas Feria Taurina takes place at Valencia's bullring during the festival. Whether or not you attend is a personal choice - this remains a divisive topic among both locals and visitors. Even if bullfighting isn't for you, the bullring usually hosts themed exhibitions and guided tours during Fallas, a chance to see the historic building without attending a corrida.

Useful Apps

• Official Ofrenda App (iOS and Android) - tracks fallas in real time using chip technology during La Ofrenda, sends notifications about traffic disruptions, and includes live broadcasts from A Punt. Search "Ofrenda Valencia" in your app store.
• Amparito - a new AI-powered virtual assistant available on WhatsApp that answers Fallas questions in 95+ languages. Ask her about schedules, traditions, where to go, or what to eat. Especially useful for non-Spanish speakers. Find her on Instagram (@amparito) or via WhatsApp.
• EMT Valencia - essential for checking real-time bus route changes during the festival. Many routes are diverted around falla monuments.

What to Wear

• Comfortable, closed-toe shoes - you'll walk a lot and the streets have debris, embers, and firecracker remnants.
• Layers - March weather in Valencia can range from 12 to 22 degrees C, and rain is always possible.
• Don't wear your best clothes to La Crema - smoke, ash, and the occasional stray spark are guaranteed.

Fallas Beyond Valencia

While Valencia is the epicenter, the Fallas tradition extends to other areas:

• Torrent: A city just south of Valencia that hosts its own Fallas celebrations, including the "Arribada del Foc" fireworks festival.
• Across the Valencian Community: Many towns throughout the provinces of Valencia, Alicante, and Castellon celebrate their own Fallas, often with a more intimate, local atmosphere compared to the capital. The tradition has even spread to other parts of Spain in recent years.

An Evolving Festival

Fallas keeps growing, and with record numbers of participants the city periodically rethinks the format. In recent years there has been ongoing discussion about spreading La Ofrenda over more days and adjusting when the festival tents go up in the neighborhoods, all aimed at handling the crowds while keeping daily life livable. Expect small tweaks from year to year, but the core rituals stay the same.

Fallas Glossary

Key terms every visitor should know:

Falla

Both the festival itself and the individual monuments built and burned

Mascleta

Daytime percussion-fireworks show at 14:00 in Plaza del Ayuntamiento

Ninot

Individual figure within a falla monument

Ninot Indultat

The pardoned figure saved from burning by public vote

La Crema

The burning of all fallas on the night of March 19

La Ofrenda

Flower offering to the Virgin, with falleras parading through the city

Nit del Foc

"Night of Fire" - the biggest fireworks display, on March 18

La Crida

Opening ceremony at Torres de Serranos where the Fallera Mayor declares the festival open

Fallera Mayor

The elected representative who presides over the festival

Comision Fallera

Neighborhood group that organizes and funds a falla

Planta

The overnight setup of the falla monuments in the streets

Cabalgata del Fuego

Fire parade on March 19 with performers and pyrotechnics before La Crema

Desperta

Early morning wake-up call with firecrackers and marching bands through the streets

Casal Faller

The neighborhood meeting house where a falla commission gathers, eats, and celebrates

Bunyol / Bunuelo

Traditional fried pumpkin doughnut eaten during Fallas

Verbena

Outdoor street party with music, typically hosted by falla commissions

FAQ

When is Fallas 2027 in Valencia?

Fallas runs from March 1 to 19, 2027. The final five days, March 15 to 19, known as la semana fallera, are when the big events happen, ending with La Crema on the night of March 19.

What is the mascleta and where do I watch it?

The mascleta is a daily daytime percussion-fireworks show at 14:00 in Plaza del Ayuntamiento. It is a full-body experience meant to be felt as much as heard. Arrive by 13:00 to 13:15 for a spot, and bring ear protection: mascletas regularly exceed 120 dB.

What is La Crema and when does it happen?

La Crema is the grand finale of Fallas, when the monuments are burned. On March 19, children's fallas burn at 20:00 and the large fallas at 22:00, with the Falla Municipal in Plaza del Ayuntamiento burning last around 23:00. Wear closed shoes and stay upwind of the smoke.

How do I get around Valencia during Fallas?

Use public transport and avoid driving: the city center is closed to private vehicles from March 16 at 15:00 through March 20, with parking fines of EUR 200 in prohibited zones. Metro runs continuous service from March 13, though Xativa and Colon stations close 12:30 to 14:30 daily for mascleta safety. Buses run 24 hours March 15 to 19 with many diverted routes, so check the EMT Valencia app.

Is Fallas safe and what should I bring?

Fallas is generally safe with a heavy police presence, but a few million people in the streets means staying aware. Wear ear protection for mascletas, keep your phone and wallet in front pockets or a cross-body bag against pickpockets, wear closed shoes against embers and firecrackers, and know your exits when watching La Crema since the heat can be felt from 30+ meters away.

What about pets during Fallas?

Fallas is tough on animals because of constant fireworks and firecrackers. Keep pets indoors during mascletas at 14:00 and especially on March 18 (Nit del Foc) and March 19 (La Crema). Recommended quiet hours are 09:00 to 10:00 and 15:00 to 17:00. Talk to your vet about anti-anxiety medication if your pet is sensitive to loud noise.

Is 19 March 2027 a public holiday in Valencia?

Yes. 19 March 2027 (Sant Josep) is a Friday and a public holiday across the Comunitat Valenciana under the regional 2027 work calendar (Decree 42/2026). Most shops close, so stock up by Thursday 18 March. Good Friday (26 March) and Easter Monday (29 March) are also holidays in 2027.

Do schools in Valencia close for Fallas?

19 March is a non-school day everywhere in the Comunitat Valenciana. For 2027, the city of Valencia's municipal school council proposed making 15 to 18 March non-school days too, giving nine days off from 13 to 21 March, but as of August 2026 that still needed regional approval. Towns outside the city set their own days, so check with your school.

Can residents drive into the centre of Valencia during Fallas?

Yes, with proof of address. In 2026 the centre inside the old Turia riverbed was closed to private cars from 15:00 on 16 March until 04:00 on 20 March, and residents could enter by showing ID or a document with their address, ideally between 06:30 and 11:00. Garages inside cordoned areas cannot be used while an event is on. The Ajuntament announces the exact plan in the days before.

When can people set off firecrackers in Valencia during Fallas?

Under the 2026 bando fallero, private firecrackers were allowed from 8 March, but banned from 22:00 to 07:30 between 8 and 13 March, from 02:00 to 07:30 between 14 and 19 March, and from midnight on 20 March. The city also asks people to avoid 09:00 to 10:00 and 15:00 to 17:00, but that is a recommendation, not a ban. Firecrackers are always banned in the Jardin del Turia and in playgrounds.

How much does it cost to join a falla in Valencia?

A typical adult membership fee is around EUR 350 to 400 a year (about EUR 30 to 40 a month), though it varies by commission (COPE Valencia, March 2025). Traditional dress is the biggest extra cost: a complete fallera outfit can reach about EUR 3,000, so many newcomers borrow one in their first year. To join, walk into your nearest casal faller and ask.