Fallas artist Manuel Algarra and Red Bull have launched 'The Spark That Lights the Fallas', a contest inviting Valencia's commissions to design the most energetic ninot for Fallas 2027. Presented at Bajoqueta Bar, the initiative hands out €8,000 in prizes and keeps registration open until 31 October.

Interested commissions must send an entry form and a sketch of their proposal in PDF format to concursninot@redbull.com. The rules set three conditions: the design must feature a Red Bull can, without the logo, respect the brand's official colours, and draw inspiration from its well-known cartoons. Any falla in Valencia meeting the legal requirements can take part; commissions registered with the JCF have already received the video with the instructions.

A jury made up of Manuel Algarra, Jordi Palanca and Vicente Julián García, master mayor of the Gremio Artesano de Artistas Falleros, will pick twelve finalists. At that point a sketch is no longer enough: each finalist will have to build their own ninot and display it in the Plaza de la Plantà so the jury can award the three final prizes: €5,000 for first place, €2,000 for second and €1,000 for third.

Algarra defended the initiative as a boost for the trade: "it is good for artists, because we are going through a very difficult time," and stressed that the prize money "will encourage many artists to use all their creativity and ingenuity." The most valuable prize, however, may be a different one: the winning ninots will be seen on the streets of Valencia during Fallas 2027, right in the middle of the festival. What is today a PDF sent by email could end up on the pavement in March — which is where a ninot proves how much spark it really carries.

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