Our Insider’s Tips for the Seville Fair

This blog post was originally posted on March 21, 2015, and was updated on January 18, 2018. 

Seville is a city with a full calendar of traditional celebrations, and April means one thing: The Seville Fair!

One of the most famous in all of Spain, Seville’s April Fair, is one of the things we love most about our city. There is something special about starting Spring with a huge party complete with beautiful dresses, tradition, food, and drink. 

Here are five tips on how to spend the April Fair in Seville.

If you are heading to the Seville Fair there are a few basic things you should know. These are our insider's tips for enjoying the April Fair to the fullest

Photo Credit: Salvo Photography, Text Overlay: Devour Spain.

1.Read up on the history before you go!

The Seville Fair dates back to the year 1847 when Isabel II opened a fair where livestock could be bought and sold. The first fair had only 19 casetas (little tents) and it was a huge success. In fact, only three years later, in 1850 there were 60,000 visitors to the fair. That year, the selling of livestock was kept separate from the area where people came to socialize and enjoy themselves. Nowadays, the April Fair boasts over 1,500 casetas, is one of the biggest celebrations of the year in Seville, and one of our favorite things to do in April. (Needless to say, the buying and selling of livestock is no longer part of the fair…)

Casetas at the Seville April Fair!
Casetas at the April Fair. Photo credit: G V

2. The Casetas

In the Seville Fair, the main grounds are composed of private and public tents called casetas. These tents are set up in the form of streets and they are the key to enjoying the April fair. You can only enter a private tent if you know someone who is a member of that caseta. However, the public ones are open to everyone. It is important to note that some casetas accept cash, but in others, you need to have tickets to get something to eat or drink.

There is even a public caseta specifically for tourists! You can make lunch or dinner reservations at various times of day that suit you, and you’ll be able to watch some Sevillanas while you eat. Even if you don’t want a sit-down meal, it’s still a great way for you to experience all that the fair has to offer!

Chocolate and churros are a classic treat at the Seville April Fair!
Chocolate and churros are a must! Photo credit: Bryan Thayer

3. What to eat and drink at the April Fair

The most typical foods at the Seville Fair are simple raciones (larger portions of food to share). Families tuck into plates of fried fish like chocos (cuttlefish) or, perhaps the most typical, adobo (marinated dogfish – sounds strange but tastes incredible!). We wash the food down with our typical drink for the fair, called rebujito. This mixture of manzanilla sherry with Sprite or 7-Up is extremely refreshing, but be careful – it can go straight to your head! After you’ve had your fill of food, drink and socializing, head over to the food stands. They sell fried dough treats like buñuelos or churros with hot chocolate or even whipped cream. It’s a deliciously sweet way to end the night!

Horses at the Seville fair are often dressed with brightly colored flowers and decorations on their heads, in line with the bright colors of the dresses at the celebration
Horses at the Seville Fair

4. What to wear

The thing that makes the April Fair so famous is the beautiful dresses the women wear. The traditional dress is called a traje de gitana (literally translated: a gypsy dress). It has beautiful, bright colors, often with polka dots and ruffles (volantes). Each year, the style changes slightly and as the Seville Fair is the first of the year, it is the first city to show off the new fashions. Some women have numerous dresses for one year’s April Fair knowing full well that it will go out of style the following year.

If you are visiting, you don’t have to worry! Many women simply dress nicely and use accessories such as a flower in their hair, a mantoncillo (hair comb) or large earrings to give that flamenco flair. The fairgrounds are covered in dirt so make sure to wear shoes that can be cleaned, or that you don’t mind getting dirty. It’s all in the name of fashion, after all!

Men are generally expected to wear suit and tie, but if you’re just visiting we’d advise you to just look as smart as possible. Sevillanos take the fair dress code very seriously! A button down shirt and some dress pants will suffice.

Horses and carts are a traditional part of the Seville April Fair!
Horses and carts – so much fun! Photo credit: Anna Mayer

5. As different as night and day

During the day at the Seville Fair, you will see horse-drawn carriages maneuvering through the fairgrounds. This is the more traditional part of the celebration with a more formal sit down meal and drinks. At night, however, the younger crowd joins in the festivities, with the rides in the Calle Infierno being particularly popular. On the first night, head to the huge entrance gate (portada) to see the lighting ceremony. Local officials switch on the lights on the impressive gate, along with the lights that run throughout the fairground. Similarly, on the last night, take in the fireworks display, which you will actually see better far away on the Muelle de las Delicias.

8 Comment

  1. mirjana says
    February 13, 2019 at 12:41 pm

    Hello , I would like to know all about the Feria 2019 dates and the program information you have , what is the size of the group you lead and can anyone join in ?

    1. Devour Tours says
      February 18, 2019 at 11:48 am

      Hi there! We’re not offering our feria tour during 2019 as it’s a late feria this year (May instead of April) and our insider tour guide isn’t available then. We hope to have it back in 2020!
      The fair this year runs between May 4 and 11 and you can find lots of great information, including a fun downloadable e-book with tips and practical information, here: https://www.visitasevilla.es/index.php/en/history/feria-de-abril

  2. KD says
    May 6, 2019 at 6:11 pm

    We can only attend Saturday and Sunday. We are driving down from Valencia, late plans. Where would be the best place to see the festival and where to stay? Outside a half hour or so? Do you know the street or location of the best activities? Thank you.

    1. Devour Tours says
      May 9, 2019 at 2:11 pm

      Hi KD! Here’s a post we have on where to stay in Seville: https://devoursevillefoodtours.com/where-to-stay-in-seville-neighborhood-guide/
      The Jewish Quarter or Viapol are great for fair-goers as there are buses that take you straight to the feria from El Prado de San Sebastian stop. 1.40€ for a ticket.
      Once you’ve made it to “El Real” head to the I Point, the information point set up to just to the right after walking through the main entrance. They have free maps of the feria grounds and a list of the public casetas.

  3. Ryan says
    August 29, 2019 at 4:32 am

    Heading to Sevilla during the 2020 fair with my 4 and 2 year old. Can we navigate the fair grounds with them or should we steer clear of it?

    1. Devour Tours says
      September 2, 2019 at 5:39 pm

      Hi Ryan—visiting the fair during the daytime is a great option with kids. If you get there around 1 p.m., you can see the horses and peek at the casetas before things get too busy. We hope this helps!

  4. Sara Stawski says
    October 29, 2019 at 10:17 pm

    Hi can you please tell me the name and location of the Marriott Hotel close to the Fair , so I can walk easily to the Fair for sure . Thanks so much

    1. Devour Tours says
      November 4, 2019 at 9:36 am

      Hi Sara—the closest Marriott hotel to the fair is the AC Ciudad de Sevilla, which is just a short walk across the bridge: https://achotels.marriott.com/hotels/ac-hotel-ciudad-de-sevilla
      Enjoy the fair!

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