Festival Internacional de Pirotecnia de València

If you haven't already heard, the Festival Internacional de Pirotecnia is returning to Valencia in 2026! 🎆

For those of us who love fireworks, this is particularly exciting news.

The festival has a long and fascinating history connected to Valencia's celebration of 9 d'Octubre, bringing together pyrotechnic companies from Valencia and from around the world for spectacular displays on the eve of the Valencian Community's national day.

And after several years away, this much-loved tradition is coming back.

The exact history of the festival is something we are currently researching in greater detail, but the information we have been able to find so far points back to 1980, when the I Festival Pirotécnico Internacional was held in Valencia.

Importantly, this is supported by records held within the València Municipal Archive, which contains an entry for the first International Pyrotechnic Festival in 1980, followed by records relating to the festival in subsequent years.

That gives us a starting point of 1980 meaning that by 2026, this remarkable Valencian fireworks tradition has a history stretching back more than four decades.

The festival appears to have developed as an important showcase for pyrotechnic artistry, bringing together local Valencian companies with international participants.

By 2003, for example, the festival had reached its XXIV edition. That year's event was held on 8 October in the Paseo de la Alameda and featured Pirotecnia Caballer from Valencia alongside the French company Etienne Lacroix Tous Artifices. Contemporary reports described two separate fireworks displays, attracting tens of thousands of spectators.

The festival continued through the following years. In 2007, the XXVIII edition was held on 8 October in the former Turia riverbed, with Pirotecnia Garuda of Cheste providing the display.

And the story certainly did not end there.

In 2019, Valencia hosted the 40th Festival Internacional de Pirotecnia, with the Valencian company Caballer FX Global Foc responsible for the spectacular display. More than 400 kg of pyrotechnic material was used in a show lasting just over 17 minutes.

In 2026, Valencia is once again putting the Festival Internacional de Pirotecnia on the calendar.

The revived festival will take place on Thursday 8 October 2026, forming part of the celebrations surrounding 9 d'Octubre.

For the 2026 edition, two pyrotechnic companies will take part:

🇮🇹 Pirotecnica San Pio — San Severo, Italy
🇪🇸 Pirotecnia Caballer FX — Valencia, Spain

The displays will take place at Monteolivete Bridge, next to the City of Arts and Sciences, creating what promises to be a spectacular backdrop for the return of this historic event.

And there is another interesting detail.

According to comments made by Santiago Ballester, Valencia's councillor responsible for festivities, the intention is to rebuild the festival over time. The 2026 revival begins with two participating companies, with the possibility of expanding the event in future editions.

So 2026 may not simply be a return.

It could be the beginning of a new chapter in the history of the Festival Internacional de Pirotecnia de València. 🎆

There is still much more to discover about this festival.

We are currently researching its history, including the companies that have participated over the decades, the different locations used, the international pyrotechnicians who have travelled to Valencia, and how the festival itself has evolved.

We also want to uncover the stories behind the displays, the posters, programmes, photographs and memories that have helped make this such an important part of Valencia's pyrotechnic heritage.

This page will therefore continue to develop.

As we uncover more information — and as historical records become available — we will add to and update this archive.

For now, 1980 is our working starting point, based on the historical records we have been able to locate. If further official documentation establishes a different starting point or provides additional information, we will update the history accordingly.

Because Valencia has an extraordinary relationship with gunpowder.

And the Festival Internacional de Pirotecnia is another important part of that story. ❤️‍🔥🎆

📅 Thursday 8 October 2026
🕦 23:30
📍 Monteolivete Bridge – City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia
🇮🇹 Pirotecnica San Pio
🇪🇸 Pirotecnia Caballer FX

More information about the 2026 edition is available here: https://fallasinenglish.com/fipv-2026

👉 Follow VLCFFF for updates, photographs, videos and our coverage of the festival.

And if you're coming to Valencia for the fireworks, don't forget to keep an eye on our Pyrotechnics Calendar for the many other displays taking place across the city and region.