Muixeranga

The listing gives a run of performances between 31 July and 28 August, with Plaça de la Reina as the setting and no admission charge. It is still running. Exact days and times are not in the listing, only the period, so confirm them on the official page before making the trip across town.

What a muixeranga is

It is the Valencian tradition of human towers. A colla — a team in matching costume — builds figures by climbing on one another, to the sound of the dolçaina (a reed pipe) and the tabal (a drum). If you know the Catalan castells, the muixeranga is a cousin rather than a copy: it has a much stronger dance element, with some figures formed while moving, and its own music. The best known is the one from Algemesí, part of the Festa de la Mare de Déu de la Salut, which is on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

In practice you watch this: the team gathers, the music signals the start, the figure goes up, holds for a few seconds, and is dismantled carefully. Applaud at the end, not in the middle.

Plaça de la Reina, and how to actually see it

Plaça de la Reina is the pedestrian square in front of the Cathedral and the Micalet bell tower. There is no seating and no reserved area — you stand, and the good spots go to whoever arrives first. Keep clear of the base of the figure, which is where the weight is carried, and do not walk between the team and its own supporters.

Around it

• The Plaza Redonda is two minutes away, with the whole old town around it.
• It works well with children: visual, quick, and nobody expects silence. More in things to do with kids.
• Free, so it fits any budget — see free things to do in València and the festival calendar for fixed-date traditions.