How The Midweek Fallas 2025 Festival Is Changing The Tourism Dynamic In Valencia, Spain

Thursday, March 13, 2025

Fallas 2025 in Valencia, Spain, faces tourism shifts due to its midweek timing, impacting hotel bookings, revenue, and local businesses during the festival.

Fallas 2025 Approaches as Valencia Braces for Changing Tourism Dynamics

Valencia is gearing up for its most anticipated event, the Fallas festival, scheduled to take place from February 28 to March 19, 2025. While hotel bookings remain steady, local businesses are preparing for a shift in tourism trends.

Timing Challenges for Valencia’s Biggest Festival

Fallas is traditionally a significant economic boost for the city, but this year it faces challenges due to its midweek timing. The hotel occupancy for the nights from March 14 to March 19 is hovering at around 70%. While last-minute bookings may push these numbers up, they are still lower than usual, especially compared to years when the festival aligned with weekends or public holidays. Sunday, in particular, is seeing a weaker booking rate of 58%, a result of Fallas falling on weekdays.

Historically, hotel occupancy during Fallas has been higher—79% in 2024, 83% in 2023, 65% in 2022, and 78% in 2019. Despite this year’s lower initial numbers, forecasts predict that occupancy could still reach similar levels, driven by last-minute reservations.

Hospitality Sector Anticipates Declining Revenues

While hotel bookings are expected to stabilize, the hospitality sector in Valencia is preparing for a downturn in revenue. A study from the Coordinator of Hospitality of the Neighborhoods of Valencia (CHV) projects that Fallas 2025 revenue will see an 11.4% drop compared to the previous year.

Among the business owners surveyed, 57.1% expect their revenue to decline, 25.7% foresee an increase, and 22.9% believe earnings will stay the same. The key factor contributing to the expected drop is the timing of March 19—San Jose Day—on a Wednesday, making extended stays less likely.

Local Restaurants Expect Boost in Business

Despite fears of fewer international visitors, restaurants and bars in Valencia’s Fallera districts remain optimistic. The study revealed that 65.8% of these businesses expect revenue to more than double compared to a typical weekend. These establishments are benefitting from strong local support as residents and visitors actively engage in the Fallas celebrations.

Dining patterns show that lunch is expected to be the busiest time for restaurants, with 35% of surveyed businesses identifying it as peak hours. This is followed by dinner (26.6%), afternoon (20.6%), evening (11.6%), and early morning (6.6%) before the mascletá.

A Shift in Tourism and Reduced Overcrowding

According to CHV, while the drop in international tourists may impact overall revenue, it could also prevent the overcrowding issues that have plagued previous record-breaking years like 2002 and 2023. By 2024, visitor numbers had already started to decline, signaling a shift in how Fallas attracts and manages tourism.

The uncertain weather further complicates the situation, but Valencia’s tourism and hospitality sectors remain hopeful. Local attendees and last-minute visitors may help sustain the festival’s success. For indoor entertainment, the Ninot Exhibition 2025 at the Science Museum is available for both local and international travelers until March 14 and 15. While it remains uncertain if Fallas can reach its pre-pandemic economic levels, it remains a cornerstone of Spain’s cultural and economic calendar.