Weekend Edition · 1 – 4 October 2026
UPDATE: Aemet has issued a Red Alert for Heavy Rain. All outdoor activities have been suspended for Thursday and Friday. For more information and updates go to the Ayuntamiento Website.
Buen Finde! Valencia’s birthday celebrations kick off as the city marks the 750 years since the death of King Jaume I, founder of Valencia, with medieval encampments, processions and knightly tournaments taking over the city center. Rain is in the forecast for parts of the weekend, so check before heading out to any outdoor event.
Festivals and Traditions
Parc Central becomes a full medieval military encampment this Saturday and Sunday, with historic recreations to give residents an idea of what life was like in the time of King Jaume I. There will also be a smaller Moros y Cristianos parade Plaza de la Virgen on Friday morning. Visit Valencia has the full program, though rain may force schedule changes, so check before heading out.
If you managed to snag tickets, knights on horseback perform at El Torneo del Rey in the Plaza de Toros on Sunday – but the free tickets for this Diputación event sold out within hours of being announced.
The festivities build toward October 9, when the grand Moros y Cristianos parade reimagines Jaume I’s entry in fantastical, theatrical style. This year is special: A sword believed to have been worn King Jaume I’s will be leading the parade. If you want to see it, and other historic artificats, it’s on display at the Ayuntamiento’s Salon de Cristal.
Source: Visit Valencia | Valencia Extra
Did you know? October 9 doubles as Valencia’s day for lovers. Pont de Valencia’s Mireille Morejon explains the tradition of declaring your love with marzipan and sweets.
Music
Weather permitting, Lago de Conciertos – Berklee’s free outdoor series – plays Friday evening in the Turia, and the Love to Rock festival at Marina Norte runs the same weekend. Check the forecast before heading out.
Hoping to weather the storm with some live music in your neighborhood? Valencia has some small venues worth checking out: Burning House in Cabanyal, Centro Excursionista in Arrancapins, La Vitti in Algiros, and Loom in Ruzafa, just to name a few. If you know of a place that deserves a mention, send it our way!
Art
Anselm Kiefer made a surprise visit to the CAHH, accompanied by Hortensia Herrero, owner of the private art collection. The German artist toured the museum’s onoing exhibition of his expanded works. If you want to see them, you’ll have to hurry. Exhibition closes on 25 October.
Source: Culturplaza | CAHH
The Carmen Contemporary Culture Center is a great rainy-day alternative. This week, a new exhibition shows the fantasy worlds of illustrator José Segrelles, free of charge, alongside other contemporary art in the historic building.
Source: CCCC
Outdoors, street art fans can watch the Liga Nacional de Graffitis at Plaza de Vicente Alcobre in Monteolivete, where the National Graffiti League competes live – rain may cancel or reschedule, so check first. Visit Valencia has the schedule of events.
Source: Visit Valencia
Theater and Performance
Les Arts opens its opera season with a fresh take on Carmen, with directors Michele Spotti and Ted Huffman stripping down the setting for a modern spin that balances the comic and the tragic, as Culturplaza reports. Catch it before it closes on October 15.
The city’s circus arts festival, Valencirc, continues this weekend with dozens of free performances running until October 12 – rain may postpone some performances though.
And for those interested in Spanish theatre, literature and film, Levante EMV has an interesting feature following the footsteps of Federico Garcia Lorca through Valencia and Teatre Principal, as he wrote his Sonetos del Amor Oscuro. It all ties together with the new film La Bola Negra, now playing in cinemas
Source: Culturplaza | Les Arts | Valencirc | Levante-EMV
Community Calendar
Head to the historic cloisters of the San Joaquín church in El Carmen on Saturday, October 3, for the UKRAID Silent Auction Fundraiser with food, music and tempting auction items – get tickets now if you haven’t already. Charity Auction Tickets
On Tuesday, October 6, Valencia Walks & Talks partners with Micah Hart for Who Knows One: The Expat Game Show at La Batisfera, always popular and lots of fun. Tickets available on Meet-up
Coming up
Open House Valencia, the city’s architecture festival, opens the doors to some of Valencia’s most iconic buildings. On October 23 -25
And for music fans, British legend Joe Jackson plays La Rambleta on October 21. Tickets at La Rambleta.
