Valencia is recovering this March 20 from an edition of the Fallas that has been one of the best in terms of impact and visitor numbers in recent years. The weather cooperated, and all expectations were met. However, the festival leaves a flip side that has also been felt on the streets, on social media, and in private conversations: are the Fallas sustainable at this scale?
The 2026 edition has undoubtedly been one of the most questioned due to its impact on the city’s normal functioning, residents’ rest, and the coexistence between locals and visitors after more than two weeks of festivities. This raises a question: what needs to change for the 2027 edition?
At Valencia Secreta, we have collected and analyzed more than 1,500 comments on Instagram and Facebook to detail what Valencians would change for the 2027 Fallas and how they would rethink the festival.
What needs to change for the 2027 Fallas
No one wants to put an end to the Fallas, but most are demanding that the institutions conduct a thorough review of the model to ensure harmonious coexistence. The largest festival in the Valencian Community runs the risk of “dying of success” if the Valencia City Council and the Fallas Central Board do not take measures for future editions, according to residents.
The city council announced this Friday that, looking ahead to 2027, the erection of the tents will begin on March 11, and it will propose penalties for anyone setting off fireworks during rest periods.
Stricter control of firecrackers
Amateur fireworks by far top the list of citizen complaints. Residents complain about the indiscriminate use of firecrackers at any time and anywhere in the city, with a particularly severe impact on the elderly, the sick, people with ASD, and pets. “Absolute control of firecrackers: size, restrictions on where they can be set off and times… and, above all, a willingness to enforce these rules and impose real penalties,” is how one user sums it up.
The proposal: designated zones, strict schedules, and, above all, a genuine political will to enforce them.
The tents: too early and too long
The privatization of public space is the second major complaint. Citizens point out that the Fallas committees’ tents are set up far too early—this year as early as the beginning of March—blocking traffic, closing off streets, and eliminating parking spaces for weeks.
Some people are directly proposing to move the activity back inside the community centers: “Let them do things inside the community center like they’ve always done; if they don’t have enough space, let them find a bigger one. They can’t take over public space,” suggests another user.
The JCF has announced that in 2027, the tents could be set up starting on March 11.
The street parties—until four in the morning?
The schedule for the street parties, permitted until 4:00 a.m., has become another source of tension. Some residents describe unsustainable situations: “The ceiling lights shaking from the noise. That situation is unbearable,” they say. The consensus in the debate points toward setting a music curfew of 2:00 a.m. at the latest.
Litter, street drinking, and binge tourism
Lack of civic-mindedness and littering form the fourth major category of complaints. Citizens report that the Fallas have attracted a type of visitor who comes exclusively to drink, with massive street drinking parties, public urination, and trash piling up in neighborhoods. “The festival has become hostile territory.”
Tourist tax and reform of the Ofrenda
Two further proposals conclude the analysis. The first is the implementation of a tourist tax to help cover the costs of cleaning, security, and damage to street furniture caused by Fallas week—a measure that is gaining more support among residents every year.
The second issue affects the emotional heart of the festivities: the Offering. Many citizens are calling for it to be extended to three days or for morning sessions to be added to prevent the committees—and especially the children—from ending up parading in the early hours of the morning, as happened this year when the first day ended after 3 a.m.
