Feria de Abril Seville

Two weeks after Easter, Seville is already celebrating again. The Feria de Abril is the spring festival of the Andalusian capital: six days of colourful tents — casetas — music, flamenco dancing, horses and the unmistakable sound of palmas and sevillanas. The festival grounds are freely accessible; the casetas are mostly private, but the atmosphere in the streets between them is for everyone.

✅ Mostly free — the light show, processions and street atmosphere are free. Private tents (casetas) are by invitation only.

Free entry to the grounds — entering the Real de la Feria is free. Most casetas are private; the municipality has public casetas for visitors from outside.

Background

The Feria de Abril has existed since 1847, started as a livestock fair. It quickly grew into a popular festival. Today it is one of Spain’s most beloved folk festivals — first and foremost a celebration by and for Sevillians, and you can feel that.

What you’ll find

The grounds consist of rows of colourful tents — the casetas. Each family, peña or company has its own tent filled with music and food. Sevillanas — typical Andalusian dance music — sounds everywhere. Women dance in colourful trajes de flamenca, men in the traditional traje corto. Every morning, hundreds of riders and carriages pass through the grounds in traditional Andalusian dress. On the first evening — the noche del pescaíto — thousands of coloured lights illuminate the grounds.

The fairground consists of endless rows of colourful tents. Every family, club or company has its own caseta, decorated with paper lanterns and filled with music and food. Most tents are for members and invited guests only, but the atmosphere spills out regardless: sevillanas play everywhere, and the smell of fino sherry and fried fish hangs in the air all week. Fortunately there are also public casetas, set up by the city council, where outside visitors are welcome.

The music of the feria is the sevillana, a distinctly Andalusian style of dance music. Women dance in colourful trajes de flamenca, men in the traditional traje corto — and it’s emphatically not a show staged for tourists. People dance for themselves, for each other, and simply for the fun of it. Every morning, hundreds of riders and horse-drawn carriages in traditional Andalusian dress parade across the grounds, a procession that’s impressive to watch and entirely free to admire.

The lighting of the portada

The emotional high point falls on the first evening, the noche del pescaíto, when the lights come on: thousands of coloured lamps illuminate the entire grounds and the main gate, the portada, all at once. It’s a moment that moves Sevillians year after year, no matter how many times they’ve seen it before.

The Feria de Abril takes place in 2027 in April, two weeks after Easter; exact dates are listed on the website of the city of Seville. The fairground itself is free to enter, and the public casetas are open to everyone; the private tents remain closed to anyone not invited. The festival grounds, the Real de la Feria, are in the Los Remedios district and reachable by metro line 1 to Blas Infante station, or by bus or taxi from the centre. A flamenco dress or Andalusian outfit isn’t required, but it’s a common sight.

Practical info

• • Date 2027: April (two weeks after Easter; exact date via Seville’s website)
• • Entry: grounds are free; public casetas freely accessible, private casetas closed
• • Location: Real de la Feria, Los Remedios, Seville
• • Getting there: metro line 1 to Blas Infante; also bus or taxi from the centre
• • Dress code: flamenco dress or Andalusian outfit not required but very much appreciated
• • More info: sevilla.org/feria