Seasonal travelBy Clever Tourists · Published
The Feria de Abril in Seville is expected to run from Tuesday 13 April to Sunday 18 April 2027, with the alumbrado, the lighting of the entrance gate, at midnight between Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 April. The Ayuntamiento had not published an official 2027 calendar when we checked, so these dates come from third-party calendars and the fair's pattern: in 2026 the alumbrado was at midnight on 20 to 21 April, about two weeks after Easter (5 April). Easter 2027 is on 28 March. We spent 5 days in Seville in August 2022, nowhere near the fair, so this guide is a dates-and-planning page built from published sources.
• Expected dates: Tuesday 13 to Sunday 18 April 2027. One calendar says the fair runs from the midnight of Monday 12 April.
• Opening: Pescaíto dinner on the Monday, then the alumbrado at midnight, when the Portada and the fairground lights come on.
• Closing: fireworks on the Sunday night.
• Cost to enter: free. You pay for food and drinks in the casetas.
• Casetas: over 1,000 marquees, most of them private.
• 2027 change: the long-planned expansion of the Real de la Feria is not expected to be finished; the mayor called completion in 2027 impossible, so works continue in a transitional edition.
The Feria is a week-long fair on the Real de la Feria fairground in the Los Remedios and Tablada area, a short ride from the old town. It began as a livestock market and is now a week of dancing, food and sherry in rows of casetas, temporary striped marquees along named streets. In 2026 the fair lit about 280,000 bulbs and up to 90,000 paper lanterns, and officials expected some three million visitors.
Days and nights have a different mood: daytime is more family-oriented, with horse carriages and riders parading, and nights are more festive. Horse carriages may circulate only from 12:00 to 20:00 on a set circular route, and the lights on the fairground go off in the early morning.
The big nights are the alumbrado and the weekend. One local-guide source recommends Tuesday and Thursday as the easiest days to visit, with Friday and Saturday busy with visitors from nearby towns.
Seville is compact. The old town, the cathedral and the Alcázar are a short taxi or bus ride from the fairground, so a visit to the Feria fits easily into an evening, while the sights fill the day. We were in Seville for 5 days in August 2022. August is the hottest part of the year there, which is why April is the more comfortable month for a fair.
This is the question every first-time visitor has. Most casetas are private, open only to members, their families and friends, and you need an invitation. A smaller number are public casetas, open to anyone, where you can buy food and drink without being a member. The streets themselves are open to everyone, and the atmosphere is worth the visit even if you never enter a private caseta.
Be wary of anyone selling "entry" to the fair itself, which is free. If you want a table, ask a Sevillano contact or look for the public casetas, and arrive early at lunchtime when they fill. Expect to pay for tapas and rebujito (a sherry and soda drink) by the plate.
The customary dress is flamenco dress for women and a suit for men, but it is not mandatory. Visitors wear smart clothes in lightweight fabrics, since April daytime temperatures in Seville can be warm. Comfortable shoes matter: the fairground is large and the ground can be dusty. Our best time to visit Spain page covers April weather in Andalusia.
The closing fireworks launch from the Guadalquivir riverbank on the Sunday night. Viewing spots mentioned by local guides include the Triana and Remedios bridges and the riverfront, and you should arrive 30 to 45 minutes early. A hotel terrace with a reservation is the calm option. The fairground is easier to reach by public transport than by car: roads are restricted and a large security operation of more than 3,000 officers was in place in 2026.
Phone data helps with meeting points; see our Spain eSIM for tourists page.
Hotels in Seville book early for the Feria, and Easter falls on 28 March in 2027, so Semana Santa comes about two weeks before. Dates and what closes are in the Semana Santa 2027 guide. If you are visiting both, space them: the two events are about a fortnight apart and prices are high around each.
After Seville, the standard route is Córdoba and Granada. See the Andalusia itinerary by train and the Córdoba Mezquita dress code and visiting rules. Our 60-day Spain route shows how Seville and Córdoba fit together, and Spain in two weeks sets Andalusia in context. For the wider country, see our Spain guide.
Expected Tuesday 13 to Sunday 18 April 2027, with the alumbrado at midnight between 12 and 13 April. The city has not confirmed the 2027 calendar yet.
Yes, the fairground is free. You pay for food and drinks in the casetas.
Public casetas are open to everyone. Most of the 1,000-plus casetas are private, for members and invited guests.
No. It is customary but not mandatory. Wear smart, light clothes and comfortable shoes.
The expansion of the fairground will not be finished in 2027, so the fair is expected to run as a transitional edition, with works continuing.
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