In the City of Light, celebration is a must. Valencia holds many surprises when it comes to celebrations. Throughout the year, towns and cities across the Valencian Community host numerous lively and colorful festivals and traditions—most of them celebrated outdoors, right in the streets. These festivities are known for their vibrant public participation, spectacular displays, and music. In fact, an essential element of many Valencian traditions is the use of marching bands and fireworks—featured not only in official festivities but also in personal celebrations like baptisms, weddings, communions, or birthdays.
Would you like to discover Valencia’s traditions and feel the thrill of its mascletàs? In this article, we’ll explore the city’s most iconic festivals—tourist and cultural attractions that are sure to move you and leave a lasting impression.
Valencian traditions
The festivities and traditions of Valencia are known throughout the peninsula and in many cases they have spread all over the world. Let’s review some of the Valencian customs and traditions of the capital of Turia. How many of them have you heard of?
Fallas in Valencia
We start strong! The Fallas are, without a doubt, the most popular celebration of the terreta. It takes place in many towns of the province of Valencia and especially in the capital, and they have been named Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.
Every March, the streets of Valencia are filled with joy, art and feeling to welcome the beginning of good weather. Fallas monuments, gastronomy, the costumes, the pyrotechnic shows and the fire, are the protagonists during this Fallas week so expected by the Valencians. Even though thousands of national and international tourists come to the city these days in search of the smell of gunpowder , the hustle and bustle and the fun.
Valencia en Fallas offers many events since its start: the Mascletà every day at 2:00 p.m. in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, La Plantà, the Nit del Foc, the offering of flowers to the Virgin, until the long-awaited Cremà on March 19, the climax of the festivity where the fire illuminates the streets of the city and the sky is dressed in fireworks to put an end to this tradition.
Maritime Holy Week
It is the festival that follows the Fallas on the calendar and that announces the arrival of good weather in the city. Every year the neighborhoods closest to the sea celebrate with authentic devotion the Semana Santa Marinera of Valencia, one of the most characteristic religious celebrations in the city. Around 30 guilds and fraternities of Cabanyal, Canyamelar and el Grao take to the streets to carry the images and to show their worship for religion and the idiosyncrasy of the people of the sea. The narrow streets of these Marítimo neighborhoods are filled with Valencian people waiting to see the images; emotion, tradition and devotion are breathed in a celebration that does not lose popularity.
Great July Fair
Throughout the month of July, the city prepares to enjoy the traditional Gran Feria de Valencia. A festival that combines music concerts, amusement rides for the little ones, gastronomy, culture and lots of color.
The Jardines del Real or Viveros are one of the most characteristic green spaces in the city and during the Great Fair of Valencia they become an outdoor concert venue. A unique experience to enjoy in company to the rhythm of different styles of music.
Art and culture are also protagonists during this summer month. The Gran Nit is another essential event where musical performances in different parts of the city, access to museums until dawn, fireworks or the theater brighten up our summer evenings.
Finally, the Great July Fair ends its program of activities with the Battle of Flowers. A parade of floats dressed in different themes passes through the Alameda de Valencia under the attentive eyes of the public and the jury, who then announce the winners. And immediately afterwards the battle begins: for almost an hour millions of carnations are thrown non-stop between the public and the floats until they form a multicolored carpet.
Virgen de los Desamparados Festivity
On the second Sunday of May, Valencia celebrates the feast of the Virgen de los Desamparados, the patron saint of the city. The Valencians affectionately refer to her as “La Geperudeta” alluding to her stooped position. On the eve of the festival, there are concerts, folk dances and, of course, fireworks displays are held in the old Turia riverbed.
On Sunday morning, the “Traslado de la VIrgen” takes place, in which pilgrims carry the Virgin on their shoulders until they reach the Cathedral of Valencia. During this Sunday, the famous mascletàs resound again in the city flooded with flower petals. Meanwhile, in the Plaza de la Reina you can enjoy a typical market of pottery and clay objects. Tradition and religion come together to celebrate the festivity of the Patron Saint of Valencia.
On October 9, Valencian Community Day
On October 9, the Day of the Valencian Community is celebrated with different festive events. Several processions parade through the streets of the city center to celebrate the history, tradition and culture of all the peoples of the region. On this great day, the Senyera, the Valencian insignia and symbol, parades through the streets in front of the public.
On the other hand, this day is also celebrated as the day of the lovers in Valencia, where the “mocadorà” becomes the tradition par excellence to honor this day. It consists of giving your lover sweets made with marzipan representing the different fruits and vegetables from the Valencian orchard and the Mediterranean diet.
Get to know Valencia and its traditions
As we have seen, all the festivals and traditions of Valencia have in common the exaltation for gunpowder, music, art and culture. You can enjoy the city and all the tourist attractions it offers any day of the year. In fact, its quality of life, climate and leisure options have been some of the key factors for considering it the best city in the world to live. However, we have no doubt that visiting the capital of Turia during one of its main festivities will leave you wanting to know more about it.
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