Valencia denies 10 Sept eviction of 800 at old F1 camp

Today's essentials (5 key points)

• Valencia's acting mayor has denied that an eviction is scheduled for 10 September at the makeshift camp on the old Formula 1 circuit land, home to about 800 people.
• AEMET has activated an orange storm warning for the province of Valencia, with hail and wind gusts of up to 80 km/h forecast.
• Renfe will add 17 new Cercanías services from 7 September on the C1, C2 and C6 lines serving Gandía, Castelló and Xàtiva.
• The supply of rooms in shared flats in Valencia has jumped 52% in a year, pushing the average price down to 380 euros a month.
• Sueca will build a memorial honouring 54 victims of the Franco dictatorship on the site of a former mass grave, funded by the Diputació de València.

Today's essentials

Valencia denies 10 Sept eviction of 800 at old F1 camp. Valencia's city hall has denied that an eviction is planned for 10 September at the informal settlement on the former Formula 1 circuit land in the Grao, where NGOs estimate around 800 people live.

Interim mayor María José Ferrer San Segundo has publicly rejected reports of an imminent clearance, stating there is 'no action planned at this time' and calling the 10 September date 'not true', according to eldiario.es. The land sits on the former Formula 1 street-circuit site in the Grao district (El Grau), beside Valencia's port.

Roughly 400 makeshift shelters have gone up on the plot, and the NGO València és Refugi estimates that about 800 people live there, eldiario.es reports. Residents are mostly of Sahrawi, Moroccan and Algerian origin, but the camp is also home to Spanish families, including seven children.

Two grassroots groups, València és Refugi and Alanna, which works on extreme poverty, are pressing for a 'social shock plan' that reviews each family's situation case by case. They also want legal recognition as the residents' representatives, and are asking that the budget of the Grao's integrated development plan (PAI) fund temporary shelter and relay social housing before anyone is moved.

The plot is earmarked for that PAI, an urban operation the city under mayor María José Catalá handed to private investors in 2025, according to Moncloa.com. The funds Atitlan and Hayfin, grouped as Valere Reoco, are behind a scheme of 3,200 homes (708 of them protected housing), green space and a 42-storey tower.

For an English-speaking resident, this is a slow-burning story about how the port-side Grao is being redeveloped and about the fate of one of the city's most visible informal settlements. Nothing is happening on the ground right now: the city denies any scheduled eviction, and campaigners have flagged 10 September 2026 as the date they fear, per eldiario.es, so it is worth watching whether that day passes quietly.

What you need to know

• Towns affected : Valencia city, specifically the Grao district (El Grau), on the site of the former Formula 1 street circuit by the port.
• Roads closed or diverted : No road closures reported; this is an urban-planning and social matter, not a traffic incident.
• Official instructions : The city hall says no eviction is scheduled at present and denies the feared 10 September date; associations are calling for a case-by-case review and re-housing before any clearance.
• Air quality : not reported at this time
• Official numbers & channels : General emergencies: 112. Support groups active on site: València és Refugi and Alanna; oversight has been requested from the Spanish government and the Generalitat Valenciana.
• Last updated : Statements reported on 24 August 2026; the eviction date feared by associations is 10 September 2026.

Situation ongoing: this article will be updated.

Weather today

Today's weather in Valencia. Valencia has overcast skies today with temperatures between 24 and 36 degrees and wind up to 20 km/h, according to Open-Meteo, so keep water and shade close during the hottest hours.

Transport & traffic

• 17 new Cercanías services from 7 September. Renfe will add 17 new Cercanías services from 7 September on the C1, C2 and C6 lines, serving Gandía, Castelló and Xàtiva, according to elDiario.es Comunitat Valenciana. The extra runs are timed to match summer and back-to-university demand, and Renfe says it is renewing its rolling stock, cutting the fleet's average age by around ten years. If you commute along the coast to Gandía, inland to Xàtiva or north towards Castelló, expect more departures to choose from and shorter waits once the new timetable starts.
• Cercanías reshuffle before the autumn rush. The reinforced timetable on the C1, C2 and C6 lines takes effect on 7 September, Noticias CV confirms, as part of a wider restructuring of Renfe's regional service. Beyond the added frequencies, the overhaul is meant to align departure times with real passenger flows as holidaymakers return and students head back to class. For anyone relying on these lines to reach work or campus, it is worth checking the new schedule when it is published, since your usual train time may shift.

What's changing for you

• Shared-flat rooms: supply up 52%, rents down to 380 euros. The number of rooms advertised in shared flats in Valencia has risen 52% over the past year, and the average monthly rent has fallen to 380 euros, according to Las Provincias. If you are room-hunting, this is a rare window in your favour: more listings and softer prices mean you can compare, negotiate and avoid grabbing the first overpriced room you see. Focus your search now, before the September wave of returning students tightens the market again, and use the extra supply as leverage on both price and contract terms.
• Easing back into work without burning out. A sleep specialist from Vithas explains how to rebuild a healthy sleep routine after the holidays, according to Valencia Plaza. The practical takeaway is to shift your bedtime and wake-up gradually rather than all at once, cut screens and heavy meals late in the evening, and get morning light to reset your body clock. If your first weeks back at work in Valencia feel foggy, give the adjustment a few days of consistent routine before worrying about it.

Local news to know

• AEMET issues an orange storm warning. AEMET has activated an orange warning for storms across the province of Valencia, with hail and wind gusts of up to 80 km/h expected, a day after a red alert for extreme heat that pushed highs to 44 degrees.
• Hunt for the region's best potato-tortilla makers. The Comunitat Valenciana is launching a search for its best makers of potato omelette (tortilla de patatas), with the initiative set to begin on 14 September 2026, according to Valencia Bonita.
• Sueca to honour 54 Franco-era victims. The town of Sueca will build a memorial over a former mass grave to honour 54 victims of the Franco dictatorship, funded by the Diputació de València, according to Valencia Extra.
• Weekend plans across Valencia. Valencia Secreta has rounded up its picks of things to do across the city this weekend, from markets to open-air events.

Things to do today

• Alaquàs medieval market, 28 to 30 August. Alaquàs will hold its traditional medieval market beside its castle on Friday 28, Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August 2026, with crafts, food and live shows, according to Valencia Bonita.
• Free Cannes-winning film at the Centre del Carme. The Centre del Carme (CCCC) closes its summer cinema season on 30 August with a free screening of 'Un poeta', the Colombian comedy that won a Special Jury Prize at Cannes 2025, in its Gothic cloister, according to Valencia Extra.