Week in News: Ja estem en Falles!
Bon dia! Good weather returns to Valencia, Aemet says, with warm and sunny days this week to usher in the festivities.
Top News
Fallas 2026 officially begins
La Crida at the Torres Serranos drew an estimated 100,000 people as Valencia kicked off Fallas season. For the first time, writes Valencia Plaza, a woman pyrotechnics expert triggered the traditional La Crida fireworks. Levante-EMV looks at the symbolism woven into the apple-green dress worn by the Fallera Mayor Infantil. Also, seventeen people were treated for fainting spells and anxiety during the afternoon mascletà, Las Provincias reports.
Politics
DANA hearings begin
On Monday, Les Corts will begin hearing testimony from victims of the 2024 DANA flooding, though the list of speakers is controversial, El País reports. It is part of a parliamentary investigation into the disaster response.
Last week, the long-delayed joint commission between the regional and national governments for DANA recovery finally convened — 477 days after the disaster — and agreed to meet every three months in what officials describe as a more constructive tone, writes Valencia Plaza. The Generalitat has also announced €80,000 in compensation for families of those who died in the floods.
A digital Euro?
Beyond the DANA debate, Valencia also made economic headlines when European Central Bank Vice President Luis de Guindos defended the proposed digital euro during a visit to the city, reports Valencia Plaza, presenting it as a way to reduce Europe’s dependence on U.S.-based payment systems.
City News
Health and housing pressures
Valencia is the healthiest city in Spain, according to a new report in Valencia Extra, thanks to its urban design emphasizing cycling and walking, as well as a high number of public sports facilities.
Valencia recorded the highest rental price increase in Spain — more than 20% — according to Valencia Extra, deepening concerns about access for residents on local salaries. At the same time, El País spoke to young people queuing for days to secure public housing, underscoring how competitive the system has become.
New data also shows how far construction of protected housing has fallen compared to the 1990s — just 2,443 units built in five years, versus 15,000 annually three decades ago — according to Valencia Plaza.
School dropout rates are ticking up again in the Comunitat Valenciana, with a notable gender gap, Valencia Plaza reports — another possible indicator of strain on social services.
Transport and mobility
Discussion continues over where Valencia’s future bus terminal should be located — centralized or split north and south — writes Levante-EMV. Rail services between Madrid and Andalucía have resumed following last month’s Adamuz accident, reports Las Provincias.
On Valencia’s streets, new mobility rules are coming into force, reports Valencia Extra. This Fallas, authorities will increase patrols and introduce automatic fines for vehicles occupying bus lanes, alongside new registration requirements and costs for electric scooters. If you have an electric scooter, make sure you are following the new DGT requirements for registration and insurance.
Crime & Policing
Police have classified the killing of a woman and her 12-year-old daughter in Xilxes, near Castellón, as gender violence, writes El País, with investigators detailing the alleged planning behind the crime. The case follows the killing of a nurse in Benicàssim at the hands of her ex-partner, as reported by El País. Together, the incidents add to what Levante-EMV describes as an alarming national trend: in 2026 so far, one woman has been killed every five days in cases of gender violence.
Amid renewed focus on the issue, Valencia City Council announced it will name a street after Ana Orantes, whose 1997 murder became a turning point in Spain’s legal approach to domestic violence, explains Las Provincias.
Elsewhere, police are investigating a fatal stabbing in Benimàmet following a dispute between families, reports Levante-EMV — the second homicide reported in the same building in less than a decade.
Climate & Environment
A town in Castellón recorded Europe’s highest February temperature in an unusual run of warm weather, according to Las Provincias. A warmer climate may be the “new normal,” one meteorologist told Valencia Extra, increasing the frequency of violent storms and torrential rain.
A nine-meter fin whale was found dead at Valencia’s marina, writes Las Provincias, an unusual wildlife event. The University of Valencia is conducting an autopsy together with the Oceanogràfic.
Sports & Culture
Copa del Rey boosts Valencia’s profile
Valencia Basket fell in the final round of the Copa del Rey, but the Roig Arena positioned the city as the basketball epicenter of the country, writes Levante-EMV, with King Felipe stepping into the city’s new stadium for the first time.
Goya Awards (Feb 28, Barcelona)
This weekend, Spain will honor the country’s best in film with the Goya Awards, and the Valencian Community has a record 39 nominations. Valencia Plaza profiles Carmela, an innovative stop-motion film spotlighting Spain’s female militia fighters during the Civil War.
Fallas practical guide
Fallas is upon us! If you want to know when and where the fireworks and mascletàs are happening (or how to avoid them), the Ayuntamiento has published a calendar and guide for the safe use of fireworks.
And for dog owners, Valencia Extra has the schedule for special fireworks-free hours for walking pets.
Author: Atika
Writer and journalist based in Valencia. She mixes hard news with creative storytelling and a dash of local curiosity. You might spot her biking through the city, chasing stories — or just a good cortado.