Update 11/03/2020 – Spanish authorities yesterday have announced that this years Las Fallas celebrations will be suspended until the public health situation improves. Apologies for not being able to bring better news, but hopefully we can still attend next year and show everybody what all the fuss is about! Our best wishes are with the organisers, local businesses, artists, technicians and everybody else involved in making the event a huge success!
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Valencia, Spain, known for its sun, street art, paella and…. well, explosions?!
A lot of firework lovers already know about this yearly tradition, but here’s a sneak peak for those who don’t!
Las Fallas de Valencia, the festival of fire and the official beginning of Spring time, has been taking place every year between 1st – 19th March since the early 1900’s. Valencia is transformed by incredible displays of art, music, authentic food, drink, and of course, firecrackers, smoke, noise, pyrotechnics and many more celebrations and traditions.
One of these traditions is the famous daily mascleta! Each day at 2pm (yes! – during the day!) locals and tourists gather in la Plaza del Ayuntamiento (Town Hall Square) and witness an incredible spectacle of explosions and gunpowder. The display starts slow, and gradually becomes more dramatic as time goes on, before finishing with a massive eruption of noise and smoke! The mascaleta is a crowd pleaser, and gets extremely busy – arrive early for the best spot!
Here’s a clip of one of our favourite mascaleta from 2019, courtesy of Vivirlapirotecnia!
It’s not only daytime displays that Las Fallas is famous for though. There is plenty of night time fun to be had too! Spectacular evening firework displays (named Nit Del Alba, Nit Del Foc and so on) take place each night between 15th – 19th March, and generally start at midnight, 1am or 1:30am! (Valencia doesn’t like to sleep this week!). True to form, these displays are full of breathtaking pyrotechnics, effects and noise and contain some spectacular European pyrotechnic product that you won’t find on display anywhere in the UK.
Here’s a clip of 2019’s Nit Del Foc courtesy of Vivirlapirotecnia!
Don’t be fooled though, it’s not all firecrackers and noise (we sometimes wish it was!). Each year Valencians also pour weeks and week’s worth of effort into creating incredible artistic sculptures, known as Ninots. Ninots can be based on different themes, such as children’s cartoons and fun characters, or even political messages.
These Ninots are placed around the city and kept on display throughout the main festival week. Each year, they are voted on, and the winner is saved and placed in a museum, whilst all others are burnt down one by one on the last evening of Las Fallas – La Crema.
For a pyro lover, Las Fallas is an occasion that should not be missed, and to make sure you don’t miss any action at the 2020 Fallas, Firework Crazy will be attending and will be sharing highlights from the week, including photos, videos, and maybe the odd live stream!
Make sure to follow us on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates!
