As the clock ticks past midnight on Monday, the southern Spanish city of Sevilla will once again ignite in a blaze of light, music, and rebujito-fuelled revelry.
Feria de Abril 2025 has arrived – an explosion of tradition, excess and unapologetic local pride that transforms the capital of Andalucia.
From flamenco fashion shows to makeshift bars big enough to host a wedding, here’s everything you need to know to survive – and thrive – at this year’s edition of Spain’s most iconic spring fair.
What is the Feria de Abril?
For the uninitiated, the Feria is not a tourist attraction. It’s not even a festival in the conventional sense. It’s a week-long, around-the-clock immersion into Sevillian identity – equal parts ritual and riot.
Started in 1847 as a modest livestock fair, it has since morphed into a surreal sprawl of over 1,000 private tents (casetas), garishly lit avenues, horse-drawn carriages, and streets that pulse to the beat of sevillanas – a local folk dance performed with the intensity of a national sport.
When and where?
- Opening Night (La Noche del Alumbrao): Midnight, Monday, May 5, when 200,000 light bulbs flicker on and the fair officially begins with the lighting of the main gate (Portada). This year’s portada is red and white.
- Closing Night: Sunday, May 11, with a fireworks display over the Guadalquivir River.
- Location: Los Remedios fairgrounds – a purpose-built mini-city on the southern edge of Sevilla, complete with street names, police stations, and ATMs for when you inevitably run out of cash.
What to wear?
Dressing the part is not optional. For locals, it’s an unofficial rule. Women don flamenca dresses – polka dots, ruffles, and enough fabric to fill a suitcase.
Men go traditional too: suits during the day, jeans and button-downs at night, with the occasional traje corto (riding suit) thrown in for effect.
Tourists are not expected to go full Sevillano, but showing up in shorts and flip-flops is an express pass to feeling (and being) out of place – it is strongly advisable to look the part, at least to some degree.
Casetas: Invitation only?
Yes and no. Most of the casetas, which serve food, drink, and host flamenco performances, are private, meaning access is usually reserved for members and their guests.
The waiting list to get a caseta is 30 years, and most of them have been owned by the same families for generations. This keeps the festival in the hands of locals and stops it from being overtaken by foreign tourists.
That said, a handful of public casetas are open to anyone. These include the District Casetas, often with slightly higher drink prices but the same great atmosphere.
Pro tip: make local friends – a golden ticket to the Feria’s inner sanctum.
Food and drink: Come hungry, leave wobbly
The holy trinity of Feria sustenance:
- Jamon Iberico (you’ll see legs of it hanging from rafters like chandeliers),
- Fried fish (pescaíto frito) – especially on Monday’s invite-only dinner night,
- Churros con chocolate, the post-midnight sugar crash absorber.
To drink: Rebujito – a deceptively refreshing mix of sherry (Manzanilla or Fino) and Sprite. Served in jugs, consumed by the gallon. Tastes like lemonade, hits like tequila.
Getting around (and out)
The fairground is pedestrian-only, but reaching it isn’t hard. Special buses run from key parts of the city, and taxis hover like vultures – but good luck getting one after midnight. Many locals walk.
Hotels book out months in advance. If you’re scrambling for accommodation now, good luck – or look at Triana or even nearby towns like Camas or Mairena del Aljarafe for last-minute options.
What’s new in 2025?
- A revamped security presence, especially around public casetas and main thoroughfares.
- Stricter enforcement of content-sharing rules, following a stern reminder from the Andalusian Audiovisual Council: recording drunk people without consent is illegal, no matter how viral you think it might go.
- Expanded public toilet areas (after years of complaints) and a pilot programme testing reusable cups to curb plastic waste.
Things to avoid
- Filming strangers: Especially if they’re drunk. You’re not making a reel – you’re potentially violating data laws.
- Getting stuck in traffic post-fireworks. Leave early or plan to walk an hour.
- Mixing rebujito with beer. Enough said.
