Popular Festivals
Feria de Julio, the festivities marking the beginning of summer

You may have seen a big lit up sign reading ‘Gran Fira de Valencia’ when walking through Plaza del Ayuntamiento. The great festival of Valencia takes place during the month of July and has taken place every year since 1871. In classic Spanish style, finding new ways to celebrate almost every occasion, Gran Fira de Valencia symbolises the beginning of the summer season, a season where its citizens come together and also embrace travellers from abroad.

After a hundred and fifty years, the festival has gradually grown larger and more diverse in its offer of events. There are four main themes shaping the festival on the weekends – Nit a la Mar, next to the sea; the Gran Nit, in the historical centre; Nit de la Punxa, taking place just before the Battle of the Flowers, and the Folk Nights which connect its audience to traditional music.

The Battle of the Flowers, ‘Batalla de Flors’, is one of the main feats of the line-up. The parade, as you’d rightly expect, incorporates flowers in a parade around Valencia that concludes the festival. The Alameda is filled with colour and festivity, incorporating the exotic and the mythical. According to Gran Fira de Valencia’s official website, ‘the ‘crews’ on the floats include the falleres of València, the regina (Queen) of the Jocs Florals, the representatives of the Federation of Regional Associations, the Queen of Poetry, the falleres majors of other falles groups, as well as the candidates to falleres majors, Maids of Honour and the Court, and other festa and civic groups’. So, you can expect an abundance of floats and figures on show.

Jardins del Palau and Concerts de Vivers act as the festival’s two traditional venues. The cooperation between the venues with the festival enable the vast variety of performances that take place. Musical acts to look out for include the Crystal Fighters this coming Friday 22nd, concluding with Simple Minds and Venturi on Sunday 24th.

To make your lives a little bit easier, 24/7 Valencia has composed a list of all of the events available over the next few days (of which there are many). For more information on the following week, please visit the full schedule here: https://granfiravalencia.com/en/what-to-do-in-valencia-july-summer#dia=20220718&programa=programa

 

Programme

 

Monday 18th

25 International City of Valencia Footvolley tournament, Cabanyal beach

21.00 – Truc and Parcheesi Championship of the Junta Central Fallera, Jardins del Palau

22.00 – Sample of Valencian dances and songs with Escola de Tabal and Dolcaina Russafa-fa, Grup de Danses de la Societat Musical d’Alboraia and Amaltea Quadre de Balls, Jardins del Palau

 

Tuesday 19th

25 International City of Valencia Footvolley tournament

19.00 – Duo Brillantina, The Great Ball of the Fair, Jardins del Palau

21.30 – Rigoberta Bandini, Vivers Gardens

22.00 – Aretha y los Franklin, Jardins del Palau

 

Wednesday 20th

25 International City of Valencia Footvolley tournament

20.00 – Nino Costrini

21.30 – Rigoberta Bandini, Vivers Gardens

22.00 – Truc and Parcheesi Final of the Championship of the Junta Cental Fallera, Jardins del Palau

 

Thursday 21st

25 International City of Valencia Footvolley tournament

11.30 – Butoni Fest screenings, Valencia International Culture Festival, MuVIM Assembly Hall

20.00 – Las Nocturnas de Verano, Planetary live sessions with music, L’Hemisferic

Correfira in Nou Moles

20.00 – Plastic-Tic-Tic. El Triangulista, Pl. Roma

22.00 – Pepa Cases and Maria Zamora, Pl. Roma

22.00 – La comedia de la vida. Theater, Jardins del Palau

22.00 – Vanessa Martin, Vivers Gardens

 

Friday 22nd

25 International City of Valencia Footvolley tournament

11.30 – Butoni Fest screenings, MuVIM Assembly Hall

Correfira in La Creu del Grau

20.00 – Patricia Ferroro (magician), Gas Lebon: c/ Vincent Beltran Grimal

22.00 – The fifth Beatle (Jesus F. Manzano and The Blisters), Gas Lebon: c/ Vincent Beltran Grimal

21.00 to 01.00 – Carribean night opening, Cabanyal Beach

22.00 – VIPA Festival, Centre del Carme

22.00 – Falleras preelections (El Pla del Real – Benimaclet), Jardins del Palau

22.00 – Crystal Fighters, Vivers Gardens

 

Saturday 23rd

25 International City of Valencia Footvolley tournament

11.00 – Sociedades agricolas y ganaderas de la prehistoria y la edad de los metals, Prehistory Museum

11.30 – Butoni Fest screenings, MuVIM Assembly Hall

18.00 – Zanele Muholi Exhibition, IVAM

18.00 – CCCContest (storyteller), Centre del Carme

18.00 – Dance group Alimara (Llavors de la Terra Cycle), Centre Cultural La Beneficencia, Alfons el Magnanim Room

18.30 – Guided visit to the exhibition ’25 Years of Peace? The image clean-up of Francoism in 1964’, MuVUM Alfons Roig Room

20.00 – Las Nocturnas de Verano (Planetary live sessions with music), L’Hemisferic

20.30 – Recordem cantant I la magia per davant (Carlos Chova), Anfiteatro Parc Lineal

21.15 – Los Planetas, Vivers Gardens

22.00 – Monolegs in Love (stand-up comedy), Anfiteatro Parc Lineal

22.00 – VIPA Festival, Centre del Carme

For La Gran Vit and El Carmen’s full schedule, please see here for further information: https://granfiravalencia.com/en/what-to-do-in-valencia-july-summer#dia=20220718&programa=programa

 

Sunday 24th

25 International City of Valencia Footvolley tournament

11.00 – ‘Sociedades agricolas y ganaderas de la prehistoria y la edad de los metales’, Prehistory Museum

11.30 – Obriguen pas als aneguets, Centre Cultural la Beneficencia

11.30 to 12.45 – Guided visit for ‘Discover L’ETNO’, Museo d’Etnologia

12.00 – Visit to the exhibition ‘Pinazo in public space’, IVAM

12.00 – CCCContest (storyteller), Centre del Carme

12.00 – Guided visit to the exhibition ’25 Years of Peace? The image clean-up of Francoism in 1964’, MuVUM Alfons Roig Room

12.30 – Workshop in family, ‘The hidden city’, L’ETNO

20.30 – Simple Minds and Venturi, Viveros Gardens

22.00 – Falleras preelections, Jardins del Palau

 

Report by Anusha Vasudeva

Photo copyright Anusha Vasudeva / ’24/7 Valencia’

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