Seville Fair
From April 14 to 20, 2024, Seville will celebrate a new edition of its April Fair. This event, which is together with Easter the most popular and well-known of the city, has been held since 1965, although its origin dates back to the nineteenth century, specifically to the year 1846. It is considered the main event of the so-called ‘Spring Festivities’ of Seville.
Origin of Seville Fair
On August 25, 1846, the Catalan merchant Narciso Bonaplata and the Basque José María de Ybarra proposed to the then mayor of the city, Alejandro Aguado, the celebration of an agricultural and livestock fair. This first fair was fixed annually on April 18, 19 and 20, and its first edition was held in the Prado de San Sebastián in 1847. This event had 19 booths and was a great success. The reason for choosing these three days of April was not to disturb the fair of the Sevillian town of Mairena del Alcor.
Such was the growth of this celebration that 10 years later it already had up to 119 booths, becoming more of a celebration event than an agricultural-livestock event.
Since 1921 an entrance gate to the Fair was built, being of great importance since 1949 and it was customary to make a thematic gate related to the city each year.
The Seville Fair was moved in 1973 to a plot of 64,000 square meters in the neighborhood of Los Remedios, which allowed it to go from just under 100 booths to more than 600. This event remains in this same location despite the fact that at the beginning of the last decade there were great rumors about a change of location to the area of Vega de Triana.
The event always takes place two weeks after Easter Sunday, being one week earlier in the case that the fair has all its days in May. Since its creation in 1846, only in the years 1937, 1938 and 1939, on the occasion of the Spanish Civil War, and in 2020 and 2021, on the occasion of the Covid-19 pandemic, has it stopped being held.
Seville Fair at present
Currently, the Seville Fair has more than 1,050 booths throughout the 1.2 million square meters divided between the parking area, the area of booths and the area of attractions.
The Real de la Feria, as it is known the area that houses the area of booths, is divided into fifteen streets that bear the name of an important figure of bullfighting in the city as Curro Romero, Antonio Bienvenida or Juan Belmonte, among others.
Most of the “casetas” are of restricted access and belong to families, groups of friends, peñas or institutions. The rest are of public access, around 20, and the rest, also of free access, belong to the City Council of Seville.
The Fair starts with two traditional moments: the night of the ‘pescaíto’ and ‘el alumbrao’. The first night, which is currently Saturday night, Sevillians and tourists flock to the booths of the Fair to enjoy a dinner with fried fish and rebujito, the typical drink of the event made from manzanilla or fino wine and a lemon-lime flavored soda.
When the clock strikes midnight on Saturday night and Sunday night, the Feria’s main façade and the entire Real will be lit up, officially starting the celebration. The cover will be lit every afternoon and every night until the end of the festival a week later.
As for clothing, while men do not have an officially defined, women do have one: the flamenco dress. Considered the most beautiful regional costume in Spain, the flamenco dress has been worn since the 19th century and is an icon in Andalusian culture.
The usual music in this festivity are the “sevillanas”, a danceable musical genre originating in the city and that since the mid-twentieth century is considered a style of flamenco.
Seville has one of the most anticipated events of the year and is considered a Festival of International Tourist Interest. The light, color and joy of this Andalusian festivity are reflected in the horse-drawn carriages, colorful lanterns and flamenco dresses.
The Feria de Abril goes far beyond a simple celebration; it is an immersive cultural experience that reflects the richness of Andalusia. With its unique blend of tradition and modernity, it offers something for everyone, from music and dance to fashion and gastronomy. If you plan to attend and need help getting there from AMA Residences, we are here to help. The Feria is not only an opportunity to enjoy the festivities, but also an invitation to be part of a tradition that continues to bring people together in a spirit of joy and community, something that we love at AMA.
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