Valencia - What's on in the coming days

With Easter on our doorstep and spring (and high pollen count) in the air, there is a wealth of things to do in Valencia this month and next.
The solemn marches and processions of Semana Santa take place over the next few weeks in Cabanyal, the maritine suburb of the city, down by the port. They are quite moving to watch and these are the biggest outside of Seville. There are also processions in Sagunto if you want to make a day of it and take in the Magnificent Roman Castle too.
Also down at the beach from the 9-11 April is the wonderfully colourful 13th edition of the annual Kite Festival - Great fun for all the family and free!
A few euros buys you vouchers that not only get you in to the Mostra de Vinos by the Calatrava Bridge in the Park Rio Turia, but also entitle you to wine tastings and food sampling. A very inexpensive way to try some of the great wines (and Foods) of the region of Valencia, just don't go down, like we did last year, at lunchtime, because all of the food stalls were closed!! And we'd gone for lunch!
Dance and Ballet fans should check the press from now until early May for some wonderful performances and artists appearing for the International Dansa Valencia - check thisisvalencia.com for full listings.
The lights go out for the night in Valencia as part of the Global initiative,Earth Hour at 20:00h on Saturday 27th March.
Finally, Cirque du Soleil Fans will not want to miss Saltimbanco at the Velodrome from 14-18 April.

Campanar Nou and their 600,000 euro Falla

It was announced this morning that Campanar Nou's 600,000€ masterpiece (pictured above) came second to Convento Jerusalem's latest work costing only half - we'll have pictures of it for you tonight. Fallas, meanwhile is hotting up with the wonderful spectacle of the ofrenda starting today, 150,000 costumed women (falleras) parade though the streets to the cathedral to offer flowers to the Virgin.

Line up additions to Benicassim

Heineken Fiberfib at Benicassim, the most famous of the summer festivals in Spain, announced additions to the growing line up today - Echo and the Bunnymen, Hot Chip and Ellie Goulding are amongst the new names - the festival takes place from the 15 - 18 July and the line up is now - Vampire Weekend + Leftfield + Dizzee Rascal + The Cribs + Echo and the Bunnymen + Foals + Four Tet (live) + Hot Chip + Ian Brown + Ilegales + Klaxons + Mumford and sons + PiL + The Specials + Sr Chinarro + Benga + Calvin Harris + The Courteeners + Cut Copy + Dirty Projectors + Ellie Goulding + Jonston + Magnetic Man + Scratch + Perverts + Skream + Southern Arts Society + The Temper Trap + Triángulo de Amor Bizarro + Two door Cinema Club + Yacht & the Straight Gaze + Yuksek.
For travel and general information and more news as we get it, click on the headline, or go to twitter.com/thisisfib

Terry Gilliam Loves Mascletàs!

Terry Gilliam is in Valencia today to look for locations for his latest production 'The Man Who Killed Don Quixote'. He was accompanied to a Mascletà, the midday firework display of noise that takes place each day in the Plaza Ayuntamiento during Fallas, by members of the Valencia Film Office and was said to be very impressed. The movie, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, about a man who time travels between the present day and 17th century La Manchahas been beset with problems since its conception and has been the subject of a documentary 'lost in La Mancha.

Las Fallas

Las Fallas is almost upon us. It officially starts on the 15th of March and ends on the night of 19th March with La Cremà - when the entire city appears to be on fire. For a full description and everything you need to know about the wonderful Festival click on the headline.
All Photos ©2008/9/10 Diana Birch