The city of Valencia has been enveloped this Sunday in a feeling of pride, gratitude and resilience for the traditional Crida, the official opening of the Fallas 2024, in which the tragic fire in the Campanar neighborhood was remembered, which forced last Sunday to postpone this act.
The speech of the major fallera, María Estela Arlandis, has been interrupted for a few seconds during which there has been some confusion due to smoke on the sides of the Serranos Towers coming from a burning palm tree, but finally this episode has remained an anecdote and the event has resumed normally. And the shooting of some firecrackers has burned a palm tree.
The emotional memory of the Campanar neighborhood and the neighbors who have been forced to abandon it has been present in the official speeches, which have been witnessed by several thousand falleros.
The mayor of València, María José Catalá, has thanked the solidarity and affection of the Fallas collective for their "overflowing river of humanity" shown after the aforementioned fire.
"You have shown that the Fallas are not only the best festival in the world, but also the best army of solidarity and affection," he added before handing over the keys to the city to Marina García Arribas and María Estela Arlandis Ferrando, Falleras Mayores of València 2024, to "be our leaders and open the doors of València to the party and the whole world."
María Estela Arlandis also made reference in her speech to a "united and supportive Valencia, which today more than ever wants the only llamas present in our neighborhoods to be those of the night of the cream, and which is proud of those who care for us and They protect us."
The wait prior to the Crida has been enlivened by the company La Fam Teatre, and the now traditional projections on the Torres de Serranos.
On this occasion the show has focused on the character of Valencians and their supportive response to adversity, their ability to "be reborn and flourish."
There have also been allusions to the European green capital, which Valencia holds, and to all the protagonists in the Falles festival, from the Fallas artists, clothing designers, to musicians and pyrotechnicians.
It has been 8 minutes of an emotional visual story that concluded with the launch of a pyromusical show.
This Sunday's fallera day started at 6:30 a.m. with the visit of the major falleras of Valencia and their Courts of Honor to the Church of San Juan del Hospital to visit the Chapel of Santa Bárbara, patron saint of pyrotechnics.
Subsequently, a “macrodespertà” was held through the streets of La Paz and San Vicente until reaching the Town Hall square, in which more than 1,500 children and 2,250 adults participated.
At 11:30 a.m. the XX Entry of Music Bands started, an event that has been held since 2004 at the initiative of the Culture Delegation of the Fallera Central Board and that was only suspended in 2006 due to inclement weather.
At 2 p.m., the traditional mascletà was fired from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento, this time in charge of the Girona pyrotechnics, which was followed live by thousands of people.
