Las fallas - Fireworks Festival - Valencia

Yearly fire festival that combines grand fireworks displays, mascleta's (bang fests), large effigy burning and as many fireworks, bangers and cracker rolls you can let off, 24hrs a day for four days.

When it comes to pyro maniacs heaven, this is as good as it gets. The finale of the festival has 350 effigies or "fallas" ranging from 2-4 stories high, burning in the streets of Valencia

Mascleta

The build-up during the day is announced with each effigy sites holding their own mascleta

Mascleta with bangers held at head height

String of gollops (large and very large bangers) are held at head height on structures that look like washing lines and are joined together by quick match (fast burning fuse). The result is 1000's of high power bangers being quickly fired over a few minutes, with the last 20 seconds making sound levels over 120 db. The last "squeeze" is what the locals are there to witness and go wild at the end.

A luchtime mascleta in a Valencian street

They parade the pyrotechnician responsible for the mascleta at shoulder height, seldom is such adulation seen, but the Valencians are very passionate about their fireworks, the louder the better.

Shoulder lift for a mascaleta pyrotechnician

World Class Fireworks Displays

Every night of the festival a world class fireworks display is held at 1.00am in a dried up river bed with excellent viewing positions from the bridges. Valencia is the home of Spanish fireworks spanish fireworks industry with the factories of the Caballer brothers nearby.

Sunday of the festival weekend is the "night of fireworks"

Their is also the daily professional mascleta in the city center at 2.00pm. These are much bigger and louder than the ones on the effigy sites; but you cannot get as close and need to be right at the front to get the benefit (or deaf).

Cremating the "Fallas"

On monday night when the festival ends, the incredible sight of the "fallas" burning is something that cannot be described in words, it is a unique and overwhelming experience.

A huge "Falla" in the town square

The "Fallas" are 2-4 story high wooden structures covered with carved polystyrene with larger than life figures (ninot) that look like cartoons characters, fantasy and legendary beings assembled with some jocular message or social-political comment. You will need to understand spanish to get the jokes.

Each of the many community groups build their own "fallas" and texture and paint the carved figures to make their point. They are then judged and awards made.

community "falla"

Some of the larger groups build huge "fallas" that are sited on the crossroad of the many small roads that weave through the center of Valencia.

Once the awards have been made the fallas are burt at the end of the festival at midnight.

The burning is carried out usually with a fireworks display in the street. This is usually pretty good fun as it is very accessible and good natured.

Falla cremation - before

A curtain or waterfall of fireworks is lit round or in front of the "Fallas". Then quick match is lit that has been draped over the structure with bangers, flares and roman candles attached to create spectacle and ignite the structure.

After - "falla" on fire at a crossroads in Valencia feet away from the residential buildings

The local fire service usually doused the trees and building with hosed to stop them catching fire. Be sure to stand up wind as the smoke is black, full of water from the hoses and has embers raining down as well.

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