January 5th:

Three Kings procession - A lavish representation of the journey of the Magi. This is the day when Spanish children receive their Christmas gifts.

January 17th:

Porrat fair and market of San Antonio - The Porrat fairs are of medieval origin and stallholders sell a variety of sweets, fruits and toffee apples. On the Sunday morning pets and other animals are taken to the Santos Antonios where they are blessed and a mass in honour of San Antonio Abad is held.

February 3rd:

Porrat fair of Sant Blai.

March 15th - 19th: Fallas

A fantastic week of music, fireworks and the burning of the five Fallas monuments. The Fallas are magnificent statues made of wood and cardboard which are richly decorated and portray caricatures of politicians and other famous people as well as fantasy and cartoon characters. They are judged on their humour and ingenuity and the one considered the poorest is burned at around midnight with the fire department standing close by to hose down the buildings which stand only feet away from the inferno. The winning statue is burned last at around three in the morning and is accompanied by music and a fantastic firework display. There is also a magnificent firework display every day in the Paseo at 2 o'clock. As it is clearly daylight at this time, this display is more about noise rather than colour!! A MUST SEE for the sheer magnificence of the statues which are burnt in spectacular fashion only for work to commence the next day on next year's monuments. More...

April Holy Week

Fiestas of San Vicente Variable dates - From Palm Sunday until Easter Monday Oliva's old town is filled with worshippers following the solemn candlelit processions of the brotherhoods. On Good Friday before dawn thousands of people gather on the mountain of Santa Ana to take part in the Stations of the Cross and with the first light of day the figures of the Nazareno and the Virgin of Dolores arrive carried on the shoulders of barefooted men. The beauty of the scene and the hymns and prayers all join to provoke a very emotional experience. The fiestas and processions continue until the following Monday, the day of San Vicente when we can see bull running in the streets. The fiestas finish with a grand firework display. More....

May 1st - 3rd:

Fiestas of the Cristo de San Roque - These fiestas have been celebrated since the 17th Century in the times when the Moors were forced to convert to Christianity. The revellers, dressed in traditional costume, announce the beginning of the fiestas all over town and there is street theatre, colourful fancy dress parades and animated street parties.

June 23rd:

Summer solstice - To celebrate the feast of San Joan fires are lit all along Oliva's beautiful beach where families come to cook food and party into the night. At midnight everyone walks into the sea and flowers are thrown into the ocean as gifts of thanks. Last Sunday of June to first Sunday in July - A grand funfair with stalls and rides is erected in the Paseo and the fun and street parties go on into the warm summer nights. More...

July 3rd week:

Moors and Christians - The town joins together to commemorate the struggle between the followers of the Cross and those of the Half Moon. The Moors and Christians march in their fantastic costumes, each with their own style of music from their band which follows them around the town and there is a great spectacle of battles, dances, carnival floats and mounted troops who perform spectacular displays in the streets of the town. After a whole night of fun, many go to the beach for the early morning disembarkation where the Moorish Ambassador lands to be greeted by the Christian Ambassador. A great battle ensues to the sound of blunderbusses and fireworks. The Moors win the fight but it is a short-lived victory. On Saturday evening a fantastic procession, lasting for several hours, parades through the town showing the Moors, Christians and the Pirates in all their glory. They are accompanied by bands, floats, fire breathing dragons, street performers who re-enact battle scenes and displays of fantastic horsemanship. The castle erected in the Paseo is re-conquered and the Christian king takes up residence after a furious battle. A fantastic firework display marks the end of the festivities. An ABSOLUTE MUST for everyone for the magnificence of the costumes and the diversity and excellence of the music. More...

September 1st - 8th:

Fiestas of the Virgen del Rebollet - The Virgen del Rebollet is Oliva's patron saint and is represented by a beautiful Romanesque carving from the end of the 17th century. On the first Sunday in September there is a mass pilgrimage which starts at 8 o'clock in the morning. The Virgin is taken on a cart through the streets up to the castle, followed by the faithful. The fiesta concludes with the singing of the "aurora", beautiful songs in the Valencian language.