I always wanted to see fireworks at Calatrava’s City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, imagining how spectacular they must look against the futurist architecture. Turns out, my imagination was spot-on; the fireworks which celebrating the opening of this year’s Ninot Exhibition looked just as breathtaking as I had hoped. As an unexpected bonus, the wind was completely still, which is pretty rare in this seaside city, allowing the pools of the City of Arts and Sciences to act as reflective surfaces, effectively doubling the spectacle.
Forewarned Is Forearmed
This firework display is something which happens every year, but I always forget about it — I’m not usually yet in Fallas firework-hunting mode by mid-February. But this year, I was ready — I’ve connected to a couple pyro groups online, so am well-informed. How many times over the years, have I suddenly heard explosions going off nearby?! Another fireworks spectacle missed! So frustrating to me, but it won’t happen again. This year, I’ve got my lists and I’m coming prepared. Fallas will not take me by surprise!
Anyway, the fireworks for the opening of the Ninot Exhibit were supposed to go off at “approximately” 8pm. By now, we should know that for Valencians, the word “approximately” translates into “at least an hour late”. There are events that always happen on time, like the daily 2pm mascletàs in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento… but for anything that’s dependent on another event ending, be prepared to wait.
Worth the Wait
The weather was cold and drizzly, so it was pretty unpleasant to stand around for a full hour, while the Falleros finished socializing. But the payoff was incredible — not very many other spectators had congregated, so we had plenty of space and were able to choose prime viewing spots right in front of the Science Museum (which you might recognize as a backdrop for the movie Tomorrowland). By the end of the spectacle, we were feeling fired up for this year’s Fallas 2022! With the pandemic still on-going, it’s been hard to get excited for Fallas, not knowing whether it would even happen at all. But now we’re feeling hopeful again.
I’ve been preparing for this year’s festival, by purchasing a new gimbal * for my Nikon camera, and hope to be able to film in extremely high quality. So please stay tuned! If you haven’t done so yet, now would be a perfect time to sign up for our newsletter, so you don’t miss any of our upcoming posts about Fallas 2022!
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