On Wednesday, July 1, Valencia’s Town Hall Square will host the show “Or, xata!”, an original production conceived specifically to inaugurate the 155th edition of the Great Valencia Fair.
The event will combine symphonic music performed by 65 live musicians, digital scenery, archival heritage footage, and a fireworks finale by Pirotecnia Peñarroja.
The event, jointly organized by the Department of Festivals and Traditions and the Department of Fallas of the City of Valencia, will recreate the atmosphere of the Fair’s early years, dating back to 1871.
A journey through the Fair’s first century
Musical direction is in the hands of Quique Montesinos, a Valencian conductor who previously led the first symphonic band to perform at the Roig Arena during the Gala for the Selection of Candidates for Falleras Mayores of Valencia in 2026.
For the staging, the production team has collaborated with the Municipal Historical Archive, which has provided photographs, posters, and original documents from the Fair’s earliest editions. The artistic direction is led by architect and set designer Nacho Fernández.
For one night, the square will be transformed into a dance and performance hall inspired by the now-defunct La Alameda municipal pavilion, the venue that hosted the Feria’s grand soirées in the late 19th century. The event also draws on literary references such as Vicente Blasco Ibáñez’s novel *Arroz y tartana*, as well as illustrations and newspaper clippings from the era.
Ten Scenes from the Fair’s History
The show is structured around ten scenes that revisit key moments in the Fair’s history: the original Alameda fairgrounds, the dance nights, the birth of the Battle of Flowers, the white, blue, and pink bullrings, the allegorical parades, the Jocs Florals, the International Band Competition, the bullfighting festival, and the role that merchants and businesspeople played in reviving the celebration following the 19th-century cholera epidemic.
Valencian actress and singer Carme Juan will host the event, portraying a horchatera from 1871—a character who will serve as the narrative thread throughout the historical journey. Costumes are the responsibility of costume expert F. Xavier Rausell, who has worked to capture the aesthetic of the Feria during the transition from the 19th to the 20th century.
Fireworks will bring the event to a close, just as they did in 1871
The show will conclude with a fireworks display designed specifically for the occasion. The Councilor for Fallas, Santiago Ballester, noted that fireworks were already part of the opening night of the first Feria on July 22, 1871, and that the goal is to recapture that same excitement 155 years later.
The Councilor for Festivals and Traditions, Mónica Gil, emphasized that the opening ceremony was intended to “live up to a celebration with 155 years of history” and to look back to its origins to recall why the Feria is part of the city’s identity.
The entire production has been developed entirely by talent from the Valencian Community. Following the event on July 1, the Gran Feria de València will continue for 26 days with a program of culture, music, performances, and traditions.
