Fairs in Valencia this weekend: which kind of "feria" is on and which one is open to the public
In Valencia, a "feria" can be a trade show at Feria Valencia, a village agricultural fair, a bullfighting season or a street festival. How to tell them apart, why listings mislead on dates and what was on over the first weekend of October 2026.
Searching for a fair in Valencia for the weekend brings up very different things: a trade show, a village agricultural fair, a bullfighting season or a street festival. The first question is not where, but what kind of fair you are looking for.
This page sorts out the types, explains why a date in a listing guarantees nothing, and takes the first weekend of October 2026 as an example.
What does "feria" mean in Valencia?
| Type | When | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Shows at Feria Valencia | According to the venue's calendar | Many are trade-only or conferences |
| Village trade and agricultural fairs | Depends on the town; the FIMEL in Meliana is in October | General public, often free |
| Bullfighting seasons | Fallas in March and a season in October | Paid, at the bullring |
| July Fair (Feria de Julio) | July | A city festival, unrelated to the Fallas |
| Moors and Christians festivals | October in the city | Street parades, free |
The Fallas are not a fair: they are the March festival, from 1 to 19 March. What is called the Fallas Fair is only the bullfighting season that coincides with them, and it has its own page: the Fallas bullfighting fair.
The example: 2 to 4 October 2026
In the week we were writing, the weekend listings showed the problem clearly: shows that ended on Thursday, others that started on Tuesday and only one fair in the strict sense, outside the city.
| Event | Published date | Any use for that weekend? |
|---|---|---|
| Feria Hábitat València | From 28 September to 1 October 2026 | No: it closes on Thursday |
| Eurobrico | From 6 to 8 October 2026 | No: the following week |
| First bullfighting event in October | 9 October 2026 | No: the following Friday |
| FIMEL, Meliana trade and agricultural fair | Friday 2 October 2026, with free entry | Only the Friday confirmed |
| Love to Rock, festival at La Marina | 2 and 3 October 2026, €59 | Yes, but it is a festival, not a fair |
| Moors and Christians: children's parade | Saturday 3 October at 17:00 | Yes, in the street |
| Moors and Christians: alardo and offering | Sunday 4 October at 10:30 | Yes, in the street |
| Medieval camp in Parque Central | Saturday 3 October from 10:30 to 20:00 and Sunday 4 October from 10:00 to 14:00 | Yes |
In other words, anyone looking for a "feria" that weekend mostly found street festivities and a music festival, not an exhibition centre open to the public.
The weekend of 9 October is a long weekend in Valencia: in 2026 the Valencian Community Day falls on a Friday, with Moors and Christians festivities and the first bullfighting event of October. If you are coming that weekend, compare places to stay early.
See hotels for the weekend →Affiliate link: booking through it supports the site at no extra cost to you.Why do listings mislead on dates?
Because listings aggregate events under a single date, either the first day or the day the press release arrived. A listed date does not tell you whether the event is still open on Saturday, what time it closes or whether it is open to the public.
In the example, the FIMEL appeared on the Friday without saying whether it continued over the weekend, and a conference at Feria Valencia on the Saturday without saying whether visitors could attend. Before you go, check three things on the event's own website: opening days, hours and whether there is public entry.
How much time does a fair outside the city take?
A village fair is not a stop between two visits in the centre. For the FIMEL in Meliana, the research sheet estimates 60 to 90 minutes each way from the centre with a change and waiting time, and 2 to 3 hours at the fair.
These are estimates, not published times, but the conclusion holds: a fair outside the city takes half a day. If the trip is about seeing Valencia, it is the first thing to drop.
What about the October festival?
In Valencia, the Moors and Christians festivities go with 9 October, the Valencian Community Day. In 2026 the programme put the children's parade on Saturday afternoon and the alardo on Sunday morning, two free street events.
Arrive with time to spare and expect diversions: they are parades, and they close streets. The rest of the listings for that kind of weekend, and how to check them, are in events in Valencia this weekend.
A show at Feria Valencia or an October parade does not combine well with a distant hotel. Compare places to stay near the centre or near the metro line that goes to the exhibition centre, depending on what you are coming to see.
See places to stay in Valencia →Affiliate link: booking through it supports the site at no extra cost to you.If you are after music, the concerts that same weekend are in concerts in Valencia this weekend. And if the trip is about seeing the city without a fair, the two-day plan is in what to do in Valencia this weekend.
Photo: Chosovi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What isn't published
- Whether the FIMEL opened on Saturday and Sunday, and at what times.
- Whether the Saturday conference at Feria Valencia admitted the public.
- The full timetable for Love to Rock and its closing time.
- The route and length of the Moors and Christians parades.
Sources
Conoce Valencia, events of the week (consulted on 28 September 2026). Feria Hábitat València, official website. AFE, October 2026 events calendar. Libertad Digital, Valencia bullfighting season (10 June 2026). Visit Valencia, 2026 Moors and Christians festival and events listings. Official Press, Valencia weekend listings. Feria Valencia, calendar of upcoming events. Turisme Dival, festivals of the Valencian Community.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a fair in Valencia this weekend?
Are the shows at Feria Valencia open to the public?
Are the Fallas a fair?
Pau Escrivà
Pau covered the old Turia riverbed every day for years, first running and then by bike. He measures his routes by GPS and publishes the real elevation changes. When a route is overrated, he says so and suggests another.
