Step into the Spirit of Seville: Feria de Abril 2025 in All Its Glory
The Feria de Abril de Sevilla 2025 kicks off at midnight on Monday 5 May with the spectacular alumbrao (lighting of the fairground) and runs through until Sunday 11 May. This event is a yearly occurrence, taking place two weeks after Semana Santa, and attracting thousands of visitors to witness a major city transformed into a week-long festival. Widely considered as Spain’s most iconic feria, it’s certainly one for the bucket-list.
Each day you can sample crispy pescaíto frito in lantern-lit casetas, watch the elegant paseo de caballos (parade of horses) and join in sevillanas dancing well past midnight. By day the atmosphere blends sun-drenched patios and sparkling local sherry, by night it becomes a warm carnival of laughter, live music and colourful flamenco dresses.
For Marbella’s luxury traveller it is the perfect occasion to secure entry to a private caseta, unwind on a VIP carriage tour or simply soak up true Andalusian style at its most unforgettable.
Serving a pitcher of rebujito - cocktail made with sherry and lemon-lime soda, often with mint - at a table inside a caseta
Casetas
Over 1,000 casetas (booths) line the 450,000 m² Recinto Ferial(Fairground), but fewer than twenty welcome non-members. Most belong to families, clubs, businesses or political parties and require invitations. Visitors can access a handful of free-entry municipal and district casetas, plus a tourist tent on Calle Pascual Márquez, offering food, drink and live sevillanas performances.
Horse carriages parade around the fairground
Parade of horses and carriages
Every afternoon from 12:00 to around 20:00 the Real del Paseo de Caballos comes alive as Andalusian horses draw ornate carriages along a circular route through the fairground. The Real Club de Enganches de Andalucía has revitalised this nearly lost art since 1985, ensuring only registered carriages circulate for safety and exclusivity.
The funfair in full swing
Calle del Infierno: The funfair
Adjacent to the casetas sits the Calle del Infierno (Hell street) funfair, spanning roughly 87,000 m² and hosting around 400 rides and attractions, from ferris wheels to rollercoasters, bumper cars and tombolas, and of course, an array of food stalls. The fairground is located next to the Guadalquivir river and Los Remedios neighborhood, to the south-west of the city.
Daily bullfights take place in the historic Maestranza bullring
Bullfighting at La Maestranza
Daily bullfights known as corridas take place at the historic Maestranza bull-ring, widely regarded as showcasing the season’s top toreros. VIP experiences can include backstage tours, private hospitality suites and opportunities to meet the matadors.
The Feria de Sevilla in 1933
History of the Feria
The Feria de Abril traces its origins to a humble livestock fair held in April 1846 at the Prado de Sebastián in Sevilla, established to revive the city after the 1842 hurricane and the Napoleonic aftermath. Initially a three-day event with 19 casetas and some 15,000 visitors, it gradually left its cattle-trading roots behind and grew into a social festival. By 1973 overcrowding forced a move to the spacious Recinto Ferial in Los Remedios, where it has thrived ever since.
Traditional dresses, trajes de gitana
Dress code
There are no rules, anyone can wear anything, but traditional dress adds vibrancy to the Feria: women wear custom colourful trajes de gitana – flamenco-cut dresses with mantoncillos and floral hair accessories – while men opt for traje corto or smart evening wear. Hiring bespoke outfits and professional photographers ensures memorable, Instagram-worthy moments.
Getting there
Sevilla lies about 2½ hours by car in normal traffic from Marbella via the A-92 which covers approximately 214 km.
An alternate scenic route uses the A-381/E-5, stretching 257 km in roughly 2 hours 45 minutes through Jerez and near Gibraltar.
Note that during Feria week some streets, such as Juan Sebastián Elcano and Antonio Bienvenida, are subject to traffic restrictions and closures for setup and décor, so plan your arrival outside peak assembly times.
