Viva Las Fallas

This years winner- Da Vinci

The charming romantic town of Valencia, on Spain's east coast turns into something of an Armageddon battleground over the four day festival known as Las Fallas.


The festival, in celebration of Saint Joseph, started as ceremony of light fires to welcome Spring, and has turned into a week long, city wide celebration of anything to do with fire.


It starts in the morning at 7:30am, with La Despertà ("the wake-up call"). Brass bands will appear from nowhere and begin to march down every street playing lively music. Close behind them are the fallers, throwing large firecrackers in the street as they wake up the town.


At 2pm, the Mascleta starts, which is a barrage of fireworks and firecrackers that have an audible rhythm, ending with a 100decibel crescendo that rattles every bone in your body.


At midnight, the traditional fireworks begin, and the city sky is lit up for 20 minutes. The party really starts now as young and old people flock to the streets, drinks in hand and dance and party until the sun comes up.


Then it starts all over again the next morning...

At the same time, every day what seems like half of Valencia dresses up in beautiful traditional clothes and parades through the city, with the women offering a flower to the virgin at the end of the parade.


But the best part is visiting all the amazing sculptures, known as the fallas, which have been created over the whole year by each community, and they are funded by the community. While most have political undertones, some are simply just beautiful. 


Then the festival comes to an end with la cremada- the burning! After one year of hand work, and sometimes up to a million euros invested into these magnificent sculptures, they stand just four days in the city before being burnt to a crisp on the final night.

A dramatic end to a dramatic party.

It would be interesting to know how much loss of productivity occurs in Valencia during this time, 'cos the locals sure know how to party!