Ignite the tradition: Elda fallas blaze with colour and culture

To experience a true Spanish tradition, the Elda Fallas is an unmissable event.

The festival, celebrated from September 26 to 29, combines elements from both Alicante and Valencia.

Throughout the four days, the streets come alive with colourful effigies.

Floral Offerings

Festivities include choosing the pardoned “ninot” (an effigy spared from the flames), floral offerings to the patron saints St. Crispin and St. Crispiniano, and a grand procession.

The climax of the festival is the ‘crema,’ the burning of the effigies, which signifies both the end of the celebration and the beginning of preparations for the next year’s festival.

This festival, deeply rooted in the city’s history, has evolved from its origins in 1929, when residents set up fallas alongside the San Juan bonfires, particularly in Barrio Nuevo and La Prosperidad.

Fallas Revival

Though the festival faced interruptions during the Civil War and its aftermath, it was revived in 1949 by the residents of Calle Trinquete.

The formal organisation of the festival began in 1958 with the establishment of the Junta Central de Fallas de San Pedro, responsible for overseeing the event and managing the city’s fallas commissions.

Tradition & Culture

The festival has seen many changes over the years including the celebration’s dates moved from June to September.

Yet, still today, the Elda Fallas stands as a testament to tradition and cultural heritage.