La Gran Fira de Juliol or Valencia's July Fair is the most important event of the summer. The city of Valencia is full of art, culture and endless activities to experience at least once in a lifetime. But where does this great holiday come from?
Its origin dates back to none other than the year 1871: Valencia was a city that was modernising and experiencing great economic and industrial growth.
With the arrival of the holidays, the local authorities have decided to offer a series of cultural and festive activities with the idea of boosting trade and promoting tourism.
In the 1950s, parades of floats and comparsas began to be included in the programme of events and the Fallas took on a special prominence.
It has become a deeply rooted celebration in Valencia. Throughout the month, the city comes alive with open-air concerts, dance performances, theatre, exhibitions, etc., The city offers a wide range of activities for all ages, sporting events, gastronomic fairs and a wide variety of activities.
Culture, leisure and entertainment in a festive and cheerful summer atmosphere.
It is part of the cultural identity of the city and you have to be part of it too!
In this the year 2026 more than 200 free activities for all audiences will take place.
Here are the ones you can't miss:
Great plans offered by the Great Fair of Valencia
Key dates
- 1–26 July: official duration of the fair
- From 2 to 25 July: major concerts in the Viveros Gardens
- Sunday 26 July: Battle of the Flowers on the Paseo de la Alameda, the closing ceremony.
Concerts in the Viveros Gardens
The Fira’s flagship music stage. This year it has featured acts such as Deep Purple, Danny Ocean, Ultraligera, Tony Hadley, Pablo Verdeguer and Valeria Castro, combining major international productions with emerging Valencian talent.
Los Focs de la Fira (fireworks displays)
Every weekend, various renowned pyrotechnics companies – including Tamarit, Vulcano and Valenciana, amongst others – stage musical fireworks displays in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento and other locations around the city, many of which combine fireworks with live music performed by groups such as Ella Pincha Sola.
The Great Night of July
The «Big Saturday»at the Fira, in the middle of the month. That night, the city is filled with simultaneous performances featuring music, magic, circus acts and theatre in various squares At the same time, there are paella tastings, the museums stay open until the early hours, and the festivities are rounded off with fireworks.
"City of Valencia" International Band Competition"
It takes place at the Palau de la Música and brings together some of the best bands on the national and international scene.
Fira de Barris and La Menuda Fira
The decentralised and children’s versions of the festival, which bring the programme to local neighbourhoods and to the youngest children with storytelling, sing-alongs, «pequedisco», traditional games, circus activities and urban workshops.
St Christopher’s Procession
The traditional vintage car parade organised by the Brotherhood of San Cristóbal, one of the most endearing and frequently photographed events at the Fira.
Falla preliminary selections
Over several weekends in July, preliminary rounds are held in various parts of the city as part of the process to select the Fallera Mayor of Valencia and her Court of Honour.
The Battle of Flowers: the grand finale
The Sunday 26 July, at 8.00 pm, the Paseo de la Alameda hosts the most eagerly awaited event and the grand finale of the Fira: the Battle of Flowers. For around an hour, dozens of decorated floats parade through the streets whilst their crews and the public throw hundreds of thousands of carnations at one another — in recent years, more than 1,200,000 have been thrown — covering the ground with a multicoloured carpet.
How to get a ticket
- The City Council is putting up for sale boxes (usually with capacity for 6–8 people) via a pre-registration and ballot process, given the extremely high demand.
- The price is usually around €30–40 per box, which works out at around €5 per person.
- Following the draw, a period for online ticket sales begins; any unsold boxes are placed on the waiting list and, finally, some are sold at the box office in Viveros.
- All information and the registration process are handled via the event’s official website and the Valencia City Council portal.
- If you can’t get a seat in the stands, you can still enjoy the parade standing on the street, free of charge, although it’s less comfortable and you won’t have as good a view.
Council: If you’re going to watch the Battle of Flowers from the street, make sure you arrive well in advance to get a good spot, bring something to protect yourself from the sun (it starts at 8.00 pm, whilst it’s still light) and bear in mind that it gets very crowded.
Useful information so you don’t miss a thing
- General opening hours: activities for children and families take place between 7.00 pm and 9.00 pm, whilst shows for the general public usually start between 9.30 pm and 10.00 pm.
- Free of charge: the vast majority of the events are free and take place outdoors.
- Where to find the official programme: Valencia City Council publishes the full, up-to-date programme on its website (valencia.es, under the ‘City Programme’ section).
- How to get around: as the events are spread across 14 neighbourhoods and several districts, it’s a good idea to check each day what’s on near you; public transport (EMT and Metrovalencia) is the best way to get between venues, especially on nights when there are fireworks, when traffic and parking in the city centre become very difficult.
- Heat: July in Valencia is hot and humid; bring water, sun cream for the afternoon events, and light clothing for the evenings of concerts and fireworks.
- Gastronomy: Make the most of the opportunity to try paella and Valencian rice dishes in the city’s restaurants; during the Gran Nit, it’s common to come across public food tastings.