Seville April Fair

The April Fair transforms the Real de Los Remedios into an ephemeral city of booths, lanterns, sevillanas and horse-drawn carriages for a week. It is a social celebration deeply linked to Seville, open in its streets and attractions, although many booths are private access.

Celebration date

The date changes every year because it is coordinated with Holy Week. The fair week begins with alumbrao and ends the following Sunday; It can be celebrated entirely in April or as late as May. The 2026 edition had its holidays of 21 April to 26, after the lighting at midnight on Monday the 20th.

The Fair does not constitute a state holiday in itself. The local work calendar may reserve a day linked to the celebration, but that declaration is approved for each year and should not be confused with the entire duration of the holiday.

The Real of Los Remedios

Since 1973 the Fair has been installed in the Los Remedios neighbourhood, between Juan Pablo II Avenue and the Tablada area. The venue is organised into streets named after bullfighting figures, rows of booths and a monumental cover that changes design in each edition. Next to the Real is the area of ​​attractions, popularly known as Calle del Infierno.

Origin and history

The fair was born as a livestock and commercial meeting. The councilors José María Ybarra and Narciso Bonaplata promoted its creation and the first edition was held in 1847 in the Prado of San Sebastián. The first booths were linked to commercial operations, restaurants and services, but the recreational component grew to define the current festival.

The enclosure remained in the Prado for more than a century. The growth of booths and visitors led to the move to Los Remedios in 1973. That first fair in the new Real reached May on the calendar and was officially inaugurated on the night of 30 April.

The lighting and the cover

The initial night ends at midnight with the lighting of the façade and the lighting of the Real. The cover is an ephemeral architecture usually inspired by buildings, anniversaries or Sevillian symbols. It marks the main entrance on Antonio Bienvenida Street and serves as a meeting point.

Casetas, sevillanas y gastronomía

  • The booths are the centre of meeting, eating, drinking, singing and dancing. There are family ones, entities and public ones.
  • The sevillanas and the flamenco dress are two of the most recognisable visual and musical signs of the party.
  • Rebujito, fried fish, ham, stews and other tapas are part of the traditional offering, which depends on each booth.
  • The streets of Real are covered with albero and decorated with lanterns; daytime life coexists with intense nocturnal activity.

Horse and carriage ride

During daylight hours, horse riding and hitching rides take place along regulated itineraries within the Real. Horsemen, horsewomen and carriages participate subject to registration, schedules and municipal regulations. It is not a parade with a single departure time, but rather an orderly circulation that is part of the traditional landscape of the Fair.

Organisation and participation

The Seville City Council, through Major Festivals and security, mobility, cleaning and health services, coordinates the venue and its devices. Owners and partners of booths, hospitality, fairgrounds, artists, horsemen, visitors and citizens participate. Access to the streets and the attractions area is free; The entry regime of each booth depends on its ownership.

Sources

Municipal festivals

Also check out the festivals of Sevilla.