When there's a music festival going on in Valencia, believe it, it's going to be a big one and a very good one. Thankfully, the music festivals in Valencia aren't all about flamboyant flamenco guitar chords and incomprehensible vocal exercises either, although some of them are. There's no shortage of flamenco in Valencia if that's what you want to see and listen to.

In Valencia, the music festival season starts at the beginning of March and doesn't let up until around the end of autumn, but even after that, there's usually something music-related going on somewhere in the city, and 2022 is no different.

Because Valencia is such a major Spanish city, many top international Spanish stars like Marc Anthony and Alejandro Sans stop off on their world tours to perform concerts in Valencia. It's always worth checking out who is passing through when you're going to visit Valencia especially if none of the festival dates coincide with your stay.

Going to a music festival in Valencia with large bags is an out-and-out no. It just can't be done so you'll need to find somewhere to store your bags and personal belongings safely. The best place to do that is in one of the Bounce luggage locker facilities in Valencia. Your bags will be in a security-tagged locker and out of the way while you're cutting your best moves to nineties music or headbanging to a Led Zepplin tribute band. 

If you need help getting to and from any Valencia festival, check out our guide on how to get around Valencia for all the info you need on public transportation.

Best Music Festivals In Valencia

May

Valencia Flow Fest

The Valencia Flow Fest is in essence much more than just a music festival. It's a multi-disciplinary event with cultural talks and sports as well as live music. The festival is for everyone but aims to create inclusion without discrimination for the LGBTIQ+ community.

The Flow Fest begins at 11 pm on the 6th of May in the Discoteca Spook and continues straight through until the early hours of Sunday the 8th. When dawn breaks on Saturday the 7th, the festival changes location to the La 3 Park and the Sala Canal in the Pineda district where the partying continues indoors and out.

The EMT bus lines 24 and 25 run special services from the Cuidad de Artes y las Ciencias to the festival for the minimal ticket price of one euro. The trip to the venues in Pineda from the city center takes around twenty minutes.

Love The 90s

The Love The 90s festival in Valencia, Spain, is a one night only over the top jamboree celebration of the sounds from the 1990s. It's an outdoor concert held in the Cuidad de las Artes y las Ciencias that literally attracts crowds in the thousands. The address of the venue is 7 Avinguda del Professor López Piñero, which is worth noting because many events take place here

In 2022 the event will take place on the 28th of May at the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias from 5 pm. It's a non-stop nineties dance party from the word go to iconic nineties music played by top nineties DJs doing their thing and a live music concert from well-known artists of the era. Headlining in 2022 are Ice MC, Technotronic, and Ace of Base plus Spanish stars like Paco Pil and Ramirez.

NB: This year's tickets are now all sold out. If you want to attend the 2023 Ciudad de las Artes event, keep an eye on the official website for the date, they vary slightly, and for when the tickets go on sale.

Deleste Festival

The Deleste Festival is a three-day music festival usually held sometime in the autumn, but in 2022 is being held from the 27th to the 29th of May. The venue this year is the Jardines de Viveros.

The Deleste Festival is all about urban music so indie pop, alternative rock, hip hop, house, and some reggaeton for good measure. The music starts around 5 pm and continues until well after dark.

The festival in Valencia, Spain, is celebrating its tenth year this year so the lineup has some mega performers who, although you might not be familiar with them all, are, in Spain, the best of the best in their genre.

Etnomusic

The Etnomusic Festival, known locally as L'Etno, is a super celebration of Spanish and international folk and ethnic music that takes place in town from the beginning of May right through to mid-September.

These individual concerts are held at various locations throughout Valencia, but the main performances are held from the 5th of May to the 6th of June in the Museum of Ethnology which is located on the city's Carrer de la Corona.

Top performers are Momi Maiga from Senegal, Els Ministrils de Raval, which is a combination of theater and music, and N3RDISTAN, a group that sets Arabic poetry to music.

These concerts are probably not to everyone's taste, but they do give an interesting insight into the musical culture of various diverse nationalities.

June

Festival de les Artes

The Festival de les Artes is a two-day festival that takes over the main plaza of the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias on the 3rd and 4th of June.

The Festival de les Artes combines live music with art, fashion, and gastronomy to create what can only be called one of the best festivals in Valencia.

The almost endless live performances take place on two separate stages. While around the plaza there are artists painting and exhibiting their work as well as upcoming designers displaying their unique creations. There's also a food market area full of pop-ups and food trucks plus play areas for kids. If you're traveling with children then this is the festival in Valencia to take them to.

Headlining the concert lineup at this Valencia festival in the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias is Spanish pop group Love of Lesbian and Spanish rock group Miss Caffeina among several others you've quite possibly never heard of. They might not be one of your own personal favorite bands, but you'll find they're definitely worth listening to.

Mar I Jazz

Mar I Jazz is a food and music festival held between the 10th and 12th of June in the Cabanyal neighborhood of Valencia.

The festival events occupy the district's Dr Lluch Park for three consecutive days with artisan stalls, food trucks, and of course, live music. There are also special activities and workshops for children.

All told, there are four different stages where the performances take place. One stage is reserved for DJs only. There are presentations from international and Spanish jazz musicians throughout the afternoon and well into the evening which makes for a superb atmosphere as the park is right by the sea.

July

Viveros Concerts

If you're visiting Valencia any time during the month of July, you'll be able to catch one, if not more, of the Viveros Concerts.

The Viveros Concerts are a series of outdoor concerts held in the Jardines de Viveros that begin on the 1st of July and continue until the 24th of July. During the days of this Valencia festival, there are 15 concerts in total and all with a different lineup.

Many of the groups headlining the concerts are top Spanish groups like La Oreja de Van Gogh, definitely worth seeing, and favorite artists like Vanesa Martin, also excellent. Several of the concerts feature well-known international stars like Simple Minds, Julian Marley, and American guitarist, Steve Vai. You can find out the exact dates of the concerts and who's performing on the Viveros Concerts official website.

Tip: If there's someone you don't want to miss, get your tickets early as the big names sell out quickly.

Diversity Festival

The Diversity Festival is a three-day long, three-stage event held at the Ciudad de Artes y Ciencias in Valencia, Spain. The festival begins on the 21st of July and finishes on the 23rd.

Throughout the three days of the festival, there are performances from over 30 well-known international and Spanish artists. All genres of music are covered including rock, pop, electronic, and indie.

Some of this year's big names are the Black Eyed Peas, the Rag'n'Bone Man, Iggy Pop, and Christina Aguilera. If they're not enough to entice you to spend three days in Valencia in July, then nothing is.

Latin Fest

Valencia's Latin Fest is a one-day summer event that takes place on the 2nd of July in a very special location near the city's waterfront.

The Latin Fest is held in an open-air auditorium called the Recinto in the Marina Sur, Valencia's big harbor. The Recinto holds 15,000 people so you can guarantee this is going to be one big Latin party and one that continues from 6 pm to 2:30 am the next morning.

While Shakira may soon be appearing in concert at the Recinto, she's not in the Latin Fest lineup. That consists of slightly lesser well-known DJs and artists in the Latin music genre, but they're still ones that put on a fantastic performance.

Note: This is not the cheapest of festivals in Valencia to attend. If you want to get a VIP table for four, which includes two bottles of spirits and unlimited mixers, it'll cost you in the region of 1,000 euros. Thankfully, it's a lot cheaper to buy tickets for normal admission. Who wants to be a VIP anyway?

Ongoing Music Festivals In Valencia

Cambra al Palau

Going to L'Almodi is an occasion to shake the creases out of your evening gown or get your tuxedo pressed, if you packed one, because this series of classical concerts are very select events.

The concerts take place in the historic Almudin building which houses the Almudin Museum, affectionately known as L'Almodi, in the Plaza de Sant Lluís Bertran. It's an incredible, but intimate setting of arched stone walls with amazing acoustic attributes.

There are 29 concerts in total featuring more than 70 artists during the festival, which range between piano recitals of Bach, Mozart, and Brahms plus many more pieces from well-known classical composers.

The Cambra al Palau, which roughly translates to collection of chamber music performances, begins at the end of January and continues throughout the year. Specific dates and artists are published on the museum's official website. Tickets are limited due to seating restrictions.

Red Panorama Flamenco

This wouldn't be a guide about music festivals in Valencia without mentioning flamenco at least once. Red Panorama Flamenco isn't a festival as such, but an ongoing series of flamenco presentations at the Talia Theater which is located on the city's Carrer dels Cavallers.

The flamenco shows at the theater commence around the end of March and continue through to the middle of July or sometimes longer.

Some of the greatest names in the genre perform throughout and as flamenco generally goes, they're shows of exuberantly emotional music, voice, and dance that display the Spanish Gitano culture at its very best.

NB: If you can't get tickets for the flamenco shows, or it's not your type of musical entertainment, a great alternative is the tango gala at the end of May.

The one thing that has to be said about the music festivals in Valencia is - they are definitely diverse. It doesn't matter what your personal taste in music is as there'll be events to suit it. Go to the Latin Fest and salsa or merengue the night away or get your best bow tie out to sit and listen to some classical chamber music under the arches. Hip hop, dance music, and

Whichever you do, going to one of the city's big events will certainly make your visit a whole lot more memorable so make sure you get your tickets before they’re all sold out.

Planning To Stay Some More Days In Valencia?

If you’re lucky enough to have three days in Valencia or even a week, you may want to escape from the mayhem of the music festivals for a while. You’ll find the museums in Valencia are quiet places where you’ll have time to contemplate things more diverse than what band's on stage next. If you’re still in the party mood, you may find the things to do at night in Valencia are just what you’re looking for.