Fiestas Valencia And murcia

February

2-5 Moors and Christians battle for the castle in Bocariente, with wild firework displays at night.

Week before Lent Carnaval in Águilas is one of the wildest in the country. Good carnival celebrations also in Cabezo de Torres and Vinaròs.

March

12-19 Las Fallas de San José in Valencia is by far the biggest of the bonfire festivals, and indeed one of the most important fiestas in all Spain . The whole thing costs as much as €1,200,000, most of which goes up in smoke (literally) on the final Nit de Foc when the grotesque caricatures, fashioned from papier-mâché and wood, are burned. Throughout, there are bullfights, music and stupendous fireworks.

The middle of the month, especially around the 19 th ( San José ), also sees smaller fallas festivals in Xàtiva, Benidorm and Denia.

Third Sun of Lent Fiesta de la Magdalena in Castellón de la Plana celebrates the end of Moorish rule with pilgrimages and procession of huge floats.

April

Holy Week is celebrated everywhere. In Elche there are, naturally big Palm Sunday celebrations making use of the local palms, while throughout the week there are also religious procession in Cartagena , Lorca, Orihuela, Moncada and Valencia .

Easter procession in Murcia are particularly famous, and they continue into the following week with, on the Tuesday, the Bando de la Huerta , a huge parade of floats celebrating local agriculture, and, on the Saturday evening, the ritous “Burial of the Sardine” which marks the end of these spring festivals.

22-24 Riotous Moros y Cristianos fiesta in Alcoy. After a colouerful procesión, a huge bettle comiences between the two sides in the main square.

25 Morella holds the traditional fiestas of Las Primes.

May

1-5 Fiestas de los Mayos in Alambra de Murcia, and Moros y Cristianos in Caravaca.

Second Sun La Virgen de los Desamparados in Valencia. The climax of this celebration is when the statue of the Virgin is transferred from her basilica to the cathedral.

Third Sun Moors and Christians battle out in Altea.

June

23-24 Noche de San Juan . Magnificient hogueras festival in Alicante (and San Juan de Alicante) with procession and fireworks, culminating as huge effigies and bonfires are burnt in the street at midnight. Celebrated on a smaller scale on the beaches of Valencia (Malvarossa, Cabanyal and Aloboraya) with bonfire-jumping. Altea also celebrates with a popular tree-bearing procession, and a bonfire in the old town.

July

Early July Fiestas de la Santísima Sangre in Denia with dancing in the streets, music and mock battles.

15-20 Moros y Cristianos in Orihuela.

16 In San Pedro del Pinatar a maritime Romeria in which an image of the Virgen is carried in procesión around the Mar Menor.

Second Week Feria de Julio in Valencia with music, bullfights, and above all fireworks, ending with the Battle of the Flowers in the Alameda . Festival of music in Valencia throughout the month, featuring open-air concerts on Viveros park, plus electrnic music events at the IVAM museum.

25-31 Moros y Cristianos battle in Villajoyosa by both land and sea.

August

4 Festival in El Palmar with processions by boat into the lake.

First Week Local fiesta in Segorbe

First Weekend Benicàssim's international music festival, a massive party bringing together the major names in alternative and electronic music.

14-15 Elche presents a mystery play, based on a drama dating back to medieval times.

14-20 Feria de Agosto in Xàtiva has a very extensive cultural dimension including concerts, plays and exhibitions, plus bullfight and barrages of fireworks.

15 Local festivities in Denia, Jumilla, and Requena.

21-23 Local festivities in Jijona.

Last Week La Tomatina, a riotous free-for-all of tomato-throwing, takes place in Buñol usually on the last Wednesday of the month. Morella hosts a music festival.

Last Wed Local fiestas in Sagunto and at the same time the great Moors and Christians festival and a mystery play in Elche .

September

4-9 Moros y cristianos in Villena

8 Mare de Deu de la Salut – colorful folkloric processions in Algemesi.

Second Week Bull Running through Segorbe's streets at 2pm daily.

8-9 Les Danses in Pñiscola's ols quarter includes human tower construction.

10-13 International Mediterranean Folk Festival in Murcia .

13 Rice festival in Sueca includes a national paella contest.

22 Fiesta de Santo Tomás in Benicàssim with bands and “blazing bull”.

October

Second Sun La Virgen de Suffrage Benidorm celebrates its patron Saint's Day.

18-22 Moors and Cristians in Calpe .

November

1 Fiesta de Todos los Santos; All Saints' festival in Cocentaina.

December

6-8 La Fiesta de la Virgen in Yecla when the effigy of Mary is carried down from the sanctuary on topo f the hill amid much partying.

14 The weekend after this date sees four days of Moors and Christians in Petrel.