The Grand Finale: The Tradition and Meaning of La Cremà
The grand finale of the Valencia Fallas festival, “La Cremà” (The Burning), is held on the night of March 19th each year, coinciding with the Feast of Saint Joseph (San José) and Father’s Day in Spain. This traditional ceremony symbolizes purifying the past year’s troubles with fire and welcoming the renewal of spring. During the ceremony, hundreds of falla sculptures, built with immense effort and expense, are turned to ash in the roaring flames.
Traditionally, the burning ceremony is initiated by the Falleras Mayores of each falla committee, who light the fuse. Accompanied by the solemn notes of the Valencian regional anthem, these ephemeral works of art fulfill their destiny in the flames, displaying a unique “beauty of destruction.”
La Cremà 2026: Detailed Schedule for the Burning Night
To ensure the public can enjoy this grand event in an orderly manner, the official detailed schedule for the burnings on the night of March 19, 2026, has been released.
20:00 - 21:00: Burning of the Children’s Fallas (Fallas Infantiles)
The burning events kick off with the children’s fallas (fallas infantiles):
- 20:00: The burning of all children’s fallas across the city begins.
- 20:30: The burning of the children’s falla that won first prize in the “Special Section” (Sección Especial) competition.
- 21:00: The official children’s falla in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento is set ablaze.
22:00 - 23:00: Burning of the Main Fallas
As night falls, the much larger main fallas will be set on fire one after another:
- 22:00: The burning of all main fallas throughout the city begins, except for the prize-winning and official fallas.
- 22:30: The burning of the main falla that won the first prize in the annual “Special Section”. The 2026 winner is the Convento Jerusalén-Matemático Marzal committee, with their monument located at C/ del Convent de Jerusalem, 26, Extramurs, 46007 València.
- 23:00: Amid great anticipation, the official main falla in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento will be set alight. As this final monument burns to the ground in a fiery spectacle, the 2026 Valencia Fallas festival officially comes to a close.
