Feria de abril (April’s Fair)
Origins
The origins of the April’s Fair date back to 1846. Two city councillors, José María Ybarra and Narciso Bonaplata proposed to celebrate a fair in April and another in September. The aim of this festival would be to buy and sell livestock, so the fair would have a mercantile character.
The City Council requested Queen Isabella II for an annual fair in April. The September fair would be postponed until later. The Queen approved this initiative, which would include the 18th, 19th and 20th April as fair days. The first fair was held in the Prado de San Sebastián area on 18th April 1847 and was attended by about 25,000 visitors and 19 casetas (stands) installed. Gradually, the fair became one of the most important festivities in the city and changed its mercantile character for a social and festive one.
At present, and during a week, the more than one thousand casetas set up in the fairgrounds become the second home of the city inhabitants
Before the official start of the Fair, many casetas are already celebrating a traditional preamble: “El pescaito” (fried fish), a dinner with a varied menu of fried fish, accompanied by cold meats and cheeses and washed down with beer, manzanilla wine and fine wine.
Officially, the fair begins on Monday at midnight with the prueba del alumbrao, that is, the lighting of the thousands of coloured light bulbs in the fairgrounds and the main gate, which is almost 50 metres high and different every year. Inside, the casetas are already set up. Paid and organized by several members/partners, the casetas are seen as a family space in which to entertain friends, relatives and guests with typical local products, drink wine, sing, have a friendly conversation and, of course, dance sevillanas. This warm and festive atmosphere is also carried outdoors: dancing in the street and the open character of the Sevillians invites everyone who passes by to join the celebration. Most of the casetas are private and can be accessed by invitation from a member or acquaintance. However, there are also casetas that are open to the general public.
During the fiesta, many people wear typical Andalusian costumes: the men in traditional country dress and the women in flamenco dress. During the day, the fair is filled with hundreds of horsemen and women and richly decorated carriages. This is the so-called paseo de caballos (horse and carriage parade), in which the visitor can take part by hiring a horse-drawn carriage with a coachman.
Next to the fairgrounds is the Calle del Infierno (Hell street), a lively entertainment area with a multitude of attractions for children and adults. Another typical element is bullfighting: every afternoon the Plaza de la Maestranza bullring fills up for the daily bullfight.
After a week of fun, an impressive display of fireworks on Sunday at midnight says farewell to the Feria de Abril until next year.
Period / Occurrence:
Its name is basically due to the fact that the Fair is held during the month of April. It does not have a fixed date, though. Traditionally, it begins two weeks after the end of Easter Week. In the years in which this festivity has fallen on later dates, a single week has been left between the two. There are even years in which it is celebrated entirely in the month of May.

Portada de la Feria. Andalucía Turismo y Deporte. www.andalucia.org

Trajes de gitana. Andalucía Turismo y Deporte. www.andalucia.org

Coche de caballos ante el arco de portada. Andalucía Turismo y Deporte. www.andalucia.org

Jinetes en el Real de la feria. Andalucía Turismo y Deporte. www.andalucia.org

Friendo buñuelos. Andalucía Turismo y Deporte. www.andalucia.org
Ayuntamiento de Sevilla. (2022). Resumen de la Feria de Sevilla de 2022. [Video File].