Seville Fair: Everything You Need To Know

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Spring in Seville is the best time of year. Not only is it getting warmer, but the air is flooded with the sweet scent of orange blossoms. Everyone is filled with excitement and anticipation as the city’s two most important events take place. First, there is Easter Holy Week, or Semana Santa as the Spaniards say.  

Then, the most magical event of the year occurs – the Seville Fair.

What is the Seville Fair?

The Seville Fair, or Feria de Abril, is the most colorful and extravagant festival in all of Spain. It’s a fun-filled week of serious dancing, drinking, eating, and socializing. In America we usually start off spring by watching a groundhog run from his shadow, but in Seville they kick it off with a huge party! We could learn a thing or two from the Spaniards because I like the sound of that!

When is the Seville Fair?

The Seville Fair traditionally starts two weeks after Semana Santa. It’s called the Feria de abril (April Fair) because it usually takes place in April, but that’s not always the case. When I went, it was the first week of May. It all depends on if Easter is early or late.

It officially begins at midnight on Saturday and runs seven days, ending on the following Saturday with a grand fireworks display. Each day the festivities begin with a parade of horse drawn carriages and their riders taking prominent Sevillanos to the famous bullring, La Real Maestranza.

The Fair begins with the Alumbrao of the Portada. This means that on the first night, this massive gateway known as the Portada gets lit up with THOUSANDS of bulbs. This is my favorite part because the Portada is different every year. Yup, you heard that right. They build a completely new one EACH YEAR.

Where is the Seville Fair?

Yes, obviously it’s in Seville, but if it’s your first time in Spain, then it can be a little tricky to find. It is located at a fairgrounds in the Los Remedios district. There is a huge area specifically designated for the fair, and it isn’t used for anything else the rest of the year.

My advice: find the Torre del Oro and cross the bridge over the Guadalquivir River. Then, just follow anyone else you see dressed for the occasion. The fair gets millions of visitors each year, so trust me, you’ll have people to follow.

The fairgrounds known as “Real de la Feria” is a whopping 24 blocks. On one half, you’ll find the amusement park, Calle del Infierno (Hell’s Road). The rides, games, and food booths will seem similar to other fairs you’ve been to, but the comical twist here is that the attendees get on crazy rides while dressed to the nines. You’ll see the women holding on to their perfect hair for dear life instead of the safety bars.

The other half is comprised of casetas, where a whole different kind of fun happens.

What are casetas?

Casetas are striped tents of varying sizes. They are arranged along 15 streets of the 24 blocks. There are over 1,000 casetas belonging to local families, friend groups, businesses, clubs, trade associations and political parties. Most of the casetas are private and open only to members and their guests. After living in Seville for a few months, I was lucky enough to get a much-coveted invitation to one of these private casetas.

But tourists, have no fear! There are numerous free public casetas where everyone is welcome.

Within the tents, drinks begin flowing and tapas are served from about 1:30 in the afternoon until early the next morning. Yep, late nights, or even all-nighters, are the norm for the Seville Fair.

Each caseta has a bar, kitchen, and sound system or some type of live entertainment playing Sevillanas, the traditional folk music of Seville. The Sevillanas is a pretty tricky dance with a lot of steps, so I took a few dance classes before going to the fair. I went to one because I have two left feet, but it’s definitely not required to have any prior knowledge.

What should I wear?

Sevillanos take the fair dress code pretty seriously! Some men and the majority of women wear the traditional costume. For men – particularly those on horseback or driving carriages – this is the traje corto, which is a short suit consisting of fitted trousers and a short, fitted jacket with a wide-brimmed hat.

Women wear the traditional traje de gitana or traje de flamenco. This literally translates to gypsy suit or flamenco dress, like those you will see in a flamenco performances. They are often in bright colors, often with polka dots and lots of ruffles. And as you ladies know, accessorizing is everything! Some common accessories are: a matching flower in your hair, jewelry (think big earrings), a fringed shawl, and of course, a fan – both to use flirtatiously and to combat the heat.

I’ll be honest with you ladies, the dresses are usually pretty pricey. I think it is a worthwhile investment if you plan to return to the Seville Fair another year, or even if you plan to attend the festivities every night that week.  Think of it this way: wedding dresses cost WAY more, and you only wear those once! Besides, dressing the part really makes you feel like a part of the celebration.

The styles slightly change every year, and this is a chance to strut your stuff! Some women will buy multiple dresses for different nights of the fair. If you want to play the part without breaking the bank, there’s a consignment shop for charity called Piel de Mariposa that has pretty cheap dresses!

So overall, don’t worry about it too much if you’re just visiting as a tourist. Many women will simply dress nicely and use accessories such as a flower in their hair, or large earrings to add a little flamenco flair to their ensemble.

And fellas, you guys always have it so easy! Men are typically expected to wear a suit and tie, but visitors can get away with a button down shirt and some dress pants.

Also, the fairgrounds are still just fairgrounds, so there’s dirt everywhere. And let’s just say that the horses have to do their business somewhere….

Please wear shoes that can be cleaned, or that you don’t mind getting dirty. Maybe they won’t go perfectly with your beautiful dress, but you’ll thank me later!

Sheesh, the things we do to look good, am I right ladies?

Insider tip: as lovely as your dress is, don’t wear it the first night unless you want to stick out like a sore thumb. The locals just wear nice clothes that night.

What is there to eat?

To be honest, people do more drinking than eating at the fair! The typical drink is called rebujito, a refreshing mixture of sherry wine with Sprite or 7-up. Just be careful; it goes down a little too easy!

Various traditional tapas are served inside the casetas, and you can find just about anything at the food stands. I always loved to end the night with some buñuelos, a yummy fried dough covered in your choice of something sweet and sticky.

For more delectable sweets, check out my article on 12 Must Eat Sweet Treats in Seville. You could also sign up for a guided food tour to experience the city’s best cuisine.

How did the Seville Fair start?

For those of you history buffs wondering about the origins of the Seville Fair, you came to the right place!

Feria de Abril dates all the way back to 1847 when Isabel II opened a fair where livestock could be bought and sold. The first fair only had 19 casetas, yet it was a still a huge success. It was such a big success that three years later in 1850 there were 60,000 visitors to the fair. However, that year the livestock was kept separate from where people were socializing.

Nowadays, people come from all over the world to experience Seville’s biggest party.

I can assure you, the Seville Fair is unlike any other “fair” that you’ve been to.

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