It’s Valencia’s birthday week. Friday, Oct. 9 is Valencia Day, with a full schedule of fireworks and parades. Both that day and Monday, Oct. 12 (Spain’s National Day) are public holidays, so schools and shops will be closed.
It’s also a politically sensitive time. The housing protest camp has no intention of leaving Plaza del Ayuntamiento, exactly where the mascletà and civic procession are due to take place on Oct. 9. As of this writing, neither side is budging, and there is open discussion of whether the camp will be forcibly removed or allowed to stay. If you’re planning to attend any of the festivities, check the local news before heading out.
Festivals and Traditions
Fireworks and grand parades. This year Valencia is pulling out all the stops to mark the 750th anniversary of the death of King Jaume I, founder of the Kingdom of Valencia. A medieval long sword believed to have been wielded by Jaume I is on display at the Sala Cristal in the Ayuntamiento. It’s supposed to lead the civic procession on Oct. 9 along with the Royal Senyera flag, capped by a mascletà, but all of that is up in the air with the protest camp in the way.
What’s definitely going ahead: midnight fireworks at the Monteolivete bridge in the Turia on Thursday night, and the Moros y Cristianos parade on Friday evening, a fantastical recreation of Jaume I’s entrance into Valencia and the battles of the Reconquista. Visit Valencia has the full program.
To learn more about the king, the Ayuntamiento is offering free historical tours in Ciutat Vella, including an English-language tour on Oct. 10. See the Ayuntamiento site for details.
True to the birthday spirit, there’s plenty of party energy to go around. Roig Arena is premiering Las Noches del Arena, a series of free rock concerts on Saturday and Sunday featuring Spanish bands. Tickets are first come, first served, and no under-18s are admitted.
Valencia is also hosting the International Fireworks Symposium, which showcases the latest in pyrotechnic spectacle throughout the week, starting Oct. 11. The first event is scheduled for Plaza del Ayuntamiento and may change, so check the symposium website for full details.
Theater and Performance
Flamenco artist Irene de la Rosa premieres a new piece created with the Federation for Deaf People in Valencia. Cultur Plaza explains how flamenco’s distinct rhythms help deaf artists navigate sound.
Bucles Festival closes out this week, so this is your last chance to catch the contemporary dance festival. The highlight is Oktawia ?cibior and Samory Ba at La Rambleta on Thursday. The duo uses crutches and skates to stretch the limits of choreography.
Valencirc, the circus arts festival, continues this weekend with free evening performances at Jardins del Palau, including fire-acrobatics and more.
Food
Maris Galicia. The annual seafood festival brings the bounty of Galicia’s seas to a giant tent beside the Antigua Estación del Grau. Visitors share meals at long benches, where plates of shrimp, lobster and octopus are served. More info.
Art
Fundación Bancaja has opened a new exhibition on Valencian painter Ximo Michavila. It’s the largest collection of the artist’s work to date, spanning six decades, from his early figurative work through his geometric phase to abstract landscapes. On through February 2027.
CaixaForum has opened a new exhibition with the British Museum exploring the prints and sketches of Dutch master Rembrandt. Details here.
The Carmen Contemporary Culture Center has a new exhibition dedicated to Valencian pop artist, Juan Verdù, curated by his son. Entitled “Dailyland” the exhibition is a colorful peek into the cheeky humor of the artist, writes Culturplaza.
Also, these are the last days to see the Anselm Kiefer exhibition at CAHH. It ends Oct. 25.
Music
A roundup of music options around the city:
16 Toneladas has back-to-back blues and rock this weekend, with Cheryl Renee on Sunday and Susan Santos on Monday.
Burning House is a jazz weekend, with guitarist and composer Veda Bartringer on Saturday and the Afro-Latin jazz of Omaya Quintet on Sunday.
Classical and opera lovers: this is your last chance to catch Carmen at Les Arts, Bizet’s classic with a modern twist. It ends Oct. 15.
Community Calendar
The Ayora Honey Festival celebrates the first cutting of the honeycombs this weekend. Jon’s Tours is organizing trips on Saturday and Sunday.
Why does Spain dominate the football pitch? Alexey Timbul takes a humorous deep dive into the subject on Oct. 15 at Espai Llimera. Meetup details.
Coming Up
Volumens Fest. Electronic music and digital art festival in some of the city’s top cultural spaces, Oct. 13-18.
World Press Photo. The annual showcase of the year’s best photojournalism runs Oct. 17-Nov. 8 at the Fundación Chirivella Soriano.
