This Was Fallas 2022 – The Rainiest on Record
With this post, we’re going to wrap up Fallas 2022. After a couple misfires (2020’s truncated festival due to Covid-19, and 2021’s mini-version in the autumn), the city had been primed for a glorious celebration in 2022. But it wasn’t to be. The worst rains in the history of Fallas plagued the city, along with heavy winds and cold temperatures. Looks like we’ll have to wait another year at least, for a proper Fallas. Why won’t the world just let us have fun?!
Fallas 2022 – Another Unprecedented One
Things got off to a great start this year, though — good weather and plenty of sun. But after a few days, the clouds rolled in, soaking everything with heavy rain throughout almost the next two weeks. People tried to cope with it, still intent on having a good time. For us, it was mostly miserable, but there were moments here and there that were still a lot of fun. Even though we didn’t get spoiled with Valencia’s famous warm spring days, at the very least, we were able to witness yet another unprecedented Fallas.
Despite the bad weather, all the major events on the Fallas calendar went ahead according to plan. Some really cool and unique fireworks were cancelled due to the weather, and some events had to be postponed or moved up, but for the most part, if you were willing to endure the rain and wind, you were able to still experience a full Fallas in 2022. Below we talk about everything we’ve seen during the festival, and provide links to other articles and videos, so don’t be shy to click around!
Fallas 2022 Highlights
Fallas starts on the last Sunday of February with the Despertà and the Cridà, the official opening ceremony. Then on March 1st, the daily 2pm fireworks, the mascletàs, begin at Valencia’s main plaza, the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. Also at the beginning of March, Fallas artists bring their figures out from the workshops and into the streets of Valencia, in order to construct their giant monuments. While all this is going on, there are also experimental fireworks and night mascletàs. On March 15th and 16th, the figures are supposed to be completely constructed, and are then judged by a jury. Then, the Ofrendà begins, with its flowering offering to Valencia’s Virgen de los Desamparados. Of course, this entire time there are fiestas, and dance parties, and botellones, and paella-cooking in the streets of the city, along with terrifying firecrackers randomly being shot off everywhere. On the last day of Fallas, the festival goes out with a fiery bang, during the Cabalgata del Fuego and the Cremà, when all the figures are burnt.
After Fallas, we’re always super-exhausted, unable to handle even one more day. We hope you had a great time following us along during the festival and that you enjoyed all the videos and pictures. Also, feel free to sign up for our Newsletter, so you don’t the miss when we cover the next firework festival.