What to do and where to park during the Fallas of Valencia in March 2023 ?
If you are looking for a way to park during the Fallas festivities in Valencia, it is best to opt for a car park where you can reserve your place.
If you want to travel to Valencia during the Fallas festivities and want to park your car there, it is best to reserve your parking space in a car park so as not to waste time looking for a space on the streets or in other car parks that may be full due to the influx of people who will also want to park.
The Fallas festival in Valencia was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site a few years ago, in 2017. And not without reason, since it is one of the most outstanding and internationally recognised festivals in our geography.
The Fallas of Valencia
The Fallas festival is celebrated around the Fiesta de San José, coinciding every year in March with the week just before the 19th of March, which is the big day of the Fallas. Its climax and closure occurs with the Cremá de los ninots and the Conclusion of the great week of these massive festivities. On this day of the nineteenth, San José, the Valencian Community holiday, the falleras mourn the fate of the Fallas and the end of the festivities until next year.
Fallas de Valencia 2023
This year, 2023, the festivities programme is scheduled to begin on 13 March 2023, extending until 19 March 2023, when the festivities will end with the Climax of the cremá.
Valencia is a well situated city as far as the weather is concerned. It has a Mediterranean climate, so the weather on these dates is already clearly approaching spring, as we know it.
It is a massive event, of great tourist attraction and international recognition, which involves a large influx of tourists and citizens. Over the years, this festival has acquired the weight and importance it truly deserves, as it is a unique and striking spectacle and this is one of the reasons why it has received UNESCO recognition.
Organization of the festival
Each district of the city prepares its own falla, which is located in the street, usually in a central square. Some of them have already measured more than 25 meters. Each year a budget is allocated by the inhabitants to the realization of the monument, these monuments compete to win the festival prize and become the famous winning falla. The ninots also compete to be graced by the infantile fallas and the older falleras.
The falla teachers start preparing their projects the day after the festivities end. These projects are developed throughout the year in the workshops, with frenetic and spectacular artistic work.
Humour in the fallas
Normally, each of these monuments represents characters with satirical tone and acid humour, in which some of the social events of the previous year are presented. Famous personalities or historical events are represented in the large monuments that populate the streets of the city of Valencia. Of all the figures, one is pardoned annually. This figure or ninot will end up being part of the museum created for them in the city, the Musée du ninot, which opens its doors throughout the year. Here we can get an idea of the spectacle that takes place during the festivities in the city of Valencia and the particularity of the works that we can see if we decide to go there.
The costumes of the falleros and falleras are striking. Especially them, with their striking hairstyles and their silk brocade dresses. Each brotherhood, composed of the falleros of each region, nominates a representative, who will be chosen as the oldest fallera, and the infantile fallera is also chosen. The functions of the laureates are to represent the entire party entourage and to attend the most important events that take place there. This mandate will end on the last day of the festivities, with a new representative being chosen each year.
The festivities take place around the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, in the city centre. In fact, the Town Hall Rift is very famous, as it is one of the most striking monuments to be found. Although the constructions are spread throughout the city, in the different districts, it is therefore difficult to cover all the points there in one day, as public transport does not work very well and there are many people moving around the city these days.
The Origins of the Fallas
But let's stop for a moment... Do you know the origin of the Fallas ?
"Joans, Joseps i ases n'hi ha en totes les cases" (Valencian proverb).
The Fallas have their origins in a tradition of the carpenters' guild that goes back centuries. The carpenters took the remains of their workshops, the furniture they no longer needed, useless tools and offal outside during San José week.
On the day of San José, they were burnt on bonfires, hence the origin of the festival, during which, later, figures were added to the bonfires. Finally, over the years, the Ninots as we know them today emerged. Taking advantage of social criticism, claiming situations and with a critical and scathing component, which has extended to this day.
These master carpenters burned these remains as an offering to the patron saint of the city and, as a result, the Valencia Fallas emerged.
Fallas 2023 Program
The Fallas take place throughout the week of 13 to 19 March 2023 and many acts are performed and are already traditional in the festivities. The Crida begins with a macro despertá, which marks the start of the festivities. The falleros, each group in their entourage, announce the beginning of the festivities and communicate to the surroundings the starting signal of the festivities. La plantá. During this festivity, the fallas are placed along the streets of Valencia's neighbourhoods. This is the moment when the ninots that come out of the authors' workshop are placed. This will take place on Wednesday and Thursday around 8am. This is a rather delicate and stressful moment, because these are monuments of great proportions, which must occupy their place in each neighbourhood. They move around on cranes and large trailers and it is exciting to see the evolution of the work they prepare throughout the year in the workshops. La Cremá is the last moment of the Fallas festival. At this moment, it is when the chess is burnt that the prizes have been won. The first to be burnt is the winning falla of the parties. The falleras weep inconsolably, while the fallas burn. Ofrenda de las flores is the moment when the flowers are brought to the Virgin. The falleros go through the streets of the city centre in a procession to place the flowers in the area dedicated to the offerings to the Virgin. This event will take place on Friday 17, Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 March. The Mascletá takes place every early afternoon of the week, around 2pm. During the Mascletá, firecrackers and rockets explode in different squares and areas of the city, divided into zones. Fireworks Throughout the week, you can watch the fireworks in Valencia.
Night-time activities to do in Fallas
If you want to go to the Fallas during the evening it is possible! Indeed, there will be entertainment in the evening, in addition to the streets full of locals and tourists, a great atmosphere will be present. Here is some information about the Fallas night programme: The night festivities will start on Wednesday at midnight with the Albà des Falles throughout the city with a firework display in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. Afterwards, the fireworks in the Jardín del Turia, on top of the Palau de les Arts, will take place on Thursday at 00:30, on Friday at 01:00 and on Saturday at the same time. It is Sunday when many things are planned not only for the beginning of the evening but also for the whole evening! In fact, Sunday is the day of the Cremà, which will start at around 8pm, after the Parade of Fire along Calle Colón, from Calle Ruzafa to Plaza de la Porta la Mar at 6pm. The week of festivities will end at 11pm with the Cremà de l' échec in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento.
Parking during the Valencia Fallas
Parking during the Fallas is not easy, so it's best to book a parking space so that you can get to the festivities with the guarantee of having a parking space and without stress. The idea is to take advantage of this and not waste too much time looking for a place to park, which is undoubtedly complicated.
Booking a parking space in Valencia in advance at our facilities guarantees a pleasant stay with all the guarantees. Visiting the Fallas in Valencia should be an obligatory destination, at least once in your life.
This year, moreover, they coincide with a weekend, so it is very likely that there will be a large crowd and, therefore, it is highly recommended to be proactive with the parking issue!