Bon dia! Valencia is bouncing back from Fallas, straight into spring. Aemet is forecasting cooler temperatures but mostly sunshine with the possibility of scattered showers.

The Big Story

Valencia’s Fallas made a statement against war

This year’s central Fallas monument in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento depicted Charlie Chaplin as a soldier, surrounded by exploding fireworks – an appeal for peace that happened to coincide with the war in Iran. It wasn’t the only statement:  La Ofrenda drew a record 120,000 falleros, and the red floral cloak of the Virgin was slowly revealed as a yellow dove of peace flying over a mother and child.

On Saturday, thousands marched through the city centre chanting “No a la guerra” in one of Valencia’s largest anti-war demonstrations in years. Spain has taken a strong public stance against the conflict, and Valencia — always politically expressive during Fallas — made that visible on an international stage.

Source: Una manifestación recorre el centro de València con el grito unánime de “No a la guerra” — Valencia Plaza

City & Politics

Mayor admits Fallas has an overcrowding problem — and promises action

Mayor María José Catalá acknowledged that Fallas 2026 generated severe mobility and rubbish problems across the city, vowing tougher penalties for littering and a review of the festival’s management ahead of 2027. Over 8,000 tonnes of rubbish were collected during the festival week, and 18 fallas commissions were fined for failing waste disposal rules.

This Fallas also opened a debate on whether the ubiquitous use of fireworks needed to be reined in. Police arrested several “pyrotechnic tourists” hoping to use the festival to set off massive homemade explosives, and a young boy was severely injured when an unexploded firework blew up in his hand.

Sources:

• Valencia anuncia sanciones más duras por ensuciar en Fallas— Las Provincias
• Debate abierto: petardos sin control en una ciudad saturada— Levante-EMV
• Un niño pierde parte de los cuatro dedos de una mano al coger del suelo un masclet sin explotar en Torrent — Levante-EMV

Tourist tax debate: Mayor passes responsibility to the national government

With Fallas generating widespread debate about who pays for the clean-up of mass tourism, Mayor Catalá has said the legal framework for a tourist tax must come from Madrid, not the Generalitat. Valencia’s richest man, Juan Roig, added his voice, saying tourists should pay more, without explicitly endorsing a tax.

Source: Catalá pasa la pelota: pide al Gobierno y no al Consell que habilite el encaje legal de la tasa turística — Valencia Plaza

City & Economy

Labour shortage and the Iran war are pushing housing costs higher

Valencia’s housing shortage is being compounded by a lack of construction workers and rising material costs driven by the conflict in Iran — fuel prices are up, slowing new builds. Demand continues to far outstrip supply, with no relief in sight for renters in the short term.

Source: La falta de mano de obra frena el abaratamiento de la vivienda y la guerra de Irán suma presión — Valencia Plaza

Government moves to cut fuel VAT as Iran war hits Spanish consumers

The Spanish government is finalising a reduction in fuel VAT to 10%, alongside electricity tax cuts, to ease pressure on households as the Iran conflict pushes energy prices higher. The measure will directly affect the cost of living for Valencia residents and commuters.

Source: El Gobierno ultima una rebaja del IVA de los carburantes al 10% y rebajas fiscales en electricidad — Valencia Plaza

Valencia’s farmers count the cost of the Iran war: €4 million a week

The Valencian farming association AVA-ASAJA estimates the Iran conflict is costing regional agriculture €4 million weekly, driven by rising diesel and fertiliser prices. Farming remains a cornerstone of the Valencian economy, and the knock-on effects will reach food prices.

Source: El coste de la guerra de Irán para el sector agrario valenciano: 4 millones a la semana, según AVA-ASAJA — El País Valencia

City & Culture

First foreign artist wins the Ninot Indultat

Zvonimir Ostoic — known as Z — became the first non-Spanish artist to win the Ninot Indultat, the prize that spares one figurine from the Fallas flames. Born in Chile with Italian and Croatian heritage, his win is a milestone in a tradition that has always been fiercely local.

Source: ¿Quién es el artista fallero ganador del ninot indultat infantil que se llama Zvonimir Ostoic? — Levante-EMV

“I am a woman, a Muslim, and as Valencian as anyone else.”

A profile of a practicing Muslim fallera who sees no contradiction between her faith and full participation in what is traditionally a Catholic festival. A story about how Valencia’s identity is evolving — and how Fallas is absorbing it.

Source: Musulmana y fallera de corazón: “Soy mujer, musulmana y tan valenciana como cualquier otra” — Levante-EMV

One to watch 

Spain’s solar-energy push is creating “Wild West” deserts

Spain has touted its growing solar energy sector as one way to avoid skyrocketing oil prices. But the creation of photovoltaic farms is also causing the desertification of some areas of Valencia, environmentalists say. As the government promotes the building of more solar energy plants, critics are warning that severe dust storms and other environmental consequences will grow.

Source: Las macroplantas solares provocan ‘tormentas del desierto’ en el interior de Alicante: «El Salvaje Oeste» — ABC

Useful this week

• Remember: Clocks spring forward one hour on Sunday, 29 March.
• Next weekend marks the start of Semana Santa Marinera, Valencia’s unique Maritime Holy Week.
• Easter holidays are the start of beach season in Valencia. Cadena Ser has a useful report on which beaches are looking their best this year.