Seville's Feria de Abril: a visitor's guide and where to stay
What the Feria is, how the fairground works, which casetas you can enter, what to wear, what it costs and why you should book early.
4 min read By the Sevilla Travel team
A few weeks after Holy Week, Seville moves house. Across the river, in Los Remedios, a temporary city goes up: more than a thousand striped canvas casetas (marquees), an entrance gate lit by thousands of bulbs, horses, ruffled dresses and manzanilla sherry. This is the Feria de Abril, and if you are thinking of coming in 2027, here is how it works.
Where
The Real de la Feria, in Los Remedios, next to Triana
When, in 2027
Tuesday 13 to Sunday 18 April. The lights are expected to go on at midnight on Monday 12
Entry
Free. What you pay for is what you eat and drink
Hours
From midday until the early hours, every day of the week
What the Feria actually is (and what it isn’t)
The Feria began in 1847 as a livestock fair and over the years became the city’s big celebration: a week when Sevillians eat, drink and dance at the Real de la Feria, the fairground. It is not a festival with stages, nor an event put on for tourists. It is a party for the people of Seville, and visitors are welcome as long as they know how it works.
It all comes down to the casetas. The vast majority are private: they belong to families, clubs or companies, and you only get in with an invitation. The good news is that there are also public casetas, such as those run by the city districts or by political parties and trade unions, where anyone can go in to eat and dance. And if you make Sevillian friends, which happens more often than you might think, an invitation to a private caseta is the full experience.
What a day at the Feria is like
- The alumbrado
The Feria starts at midnight, when the entrance gate is switched on. That night, dinner is pescaíto frito (fried fish). - The horse parade
From midday into the afternoon, horse-drawn carriages and riders make their way round the Real. It is the most photogenic moment, with the calle del Infierno (the funfair area, the “cacharritos”) playing in the background. - Afternoon and night
Sevillanas in every caseta, rebujito (manzanilla with lemon-lime soda) in jugs to share, tortilla, jamón and a lot of good cheer. The casetas close late and the Real barely sleeps.
What to wear: you don’t need a flamenco dress or a traje corto (the short riding suit), but people do dress up. Avoid sportswear. If you fancy wearing a flamenco dress, hiring one is a good option.
What it costs: getting into the Real is free. Inside, prices depend on each caseta. Here is roughly what things cost, as a guide:
| What | Rough price |
|---|---|
| Jug of rebujito | €9 to €12 |
| Ración, a sharing plate (tortilla, jamón, pescaíto) | €8 to €15 |
| Ride on the calle del Infierno | Varies a lot; with children, it’s the spending you didn’t plan for |
The most common logistics mistake
The Feria dates change every year because they depend on Holy Week, so check the official calendar before you book anything. What doesn’t change: it is one of the busiest weeks of the year for accommodation. Prices go up, and what is left gets thinner months in advance.
Our advice:
- Look for somewhere to stay as soon as you have dates. Waiting hardly ever works out better.
- Pick the right side of the river. The Real is in Los Remedios, right next to Triana. Staying in Triana means walking home, which at 3 in the morning, when taxis are impossible, is a luxury.
- The centre works too. From Santa Cruz or El Arenal you reach the Real with a stroll along the river, and in the mornings you have the monumental city on your doorstep.
- Make the most of the mornings. While half the city sleeps off the night before, the centre wakes up quiet. If you get up early, it’s a good time to see the monuments.
Los Remedios · Sevilla
Piso Familiar de Los Remedios
Three double bedrooms in Los Remedios, sleeping six
- 6 guests
- 3 bedrooms
- 1.5 bathrooms
Dedicated workspace · Washing machine · Dishwasher
Price depends on dates
Pick your dates to see the final price.
Los Remedios · Sevilla
Ventanales de Los Remedios
Two bedrooms with a private entrance and an island kitchen in Los Remedios
- 6 guests
- 2 bedrooms
- 1.5 bathrooms
Washing machine · Dishwasher
Price depends on dates
Pick your dates to see the final price.
Is it worth coming if I don’t know anyone?
Yes, as long as you know what to expect. You’ll see the gate lit up and the horse parade, you’ll dance in the public casetas and you’ll eat very well. You won’t get the intimacy of a family caseta, but the atmosphere at the Real is like nothing else and it rubs off on you. If you stay with us, ask which public casetas we like that year and where to have pescaíto on the night of the alumbrado.
Plan B? If the Feria dates are beyond your budget, the following week Seville is still in full spring and much calmer. Our 3-day guide works well for that plan.
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