Feria de Abril, Sevilla

Every spring, the town of Seville throws a week-long party for over a million people! La Feria de Sevilla originally began as a cattle trading fair in 1847, and throughout the years it has evolved into an amazing round-the-clock spectacle of all that is Spanish. Seville is considered the centre of flamenco music and culture, also known as "Sevillana" because many of the composers and songs come from this Andalucian city.

Base camp for the Feria festivities is a temporary tent city, on the far side of the Rio Guadalquivir, called the Real de la Feria. This rectangular piece of land is about a mile long and 700 yards wide. The tents, called casetas, are made of brightly-coloured canvas and decorated with thousands of paper lanterns. While this set-up was originally created for the cattle market, today the casetas are impromptu dance halls and every night you'll find flamenco music and dancing from around 9pm to 6 or 7 the following morning. The women all wear spectacularly bright Gypsy-inspired flamenco dresses, and everyone--young and old -- will throw back a glass or two of sherry and get on the dance floor.

 

The casetas are hosted by groups of aristocratic Sevillana families, clubs, trade unions and political parties. Each one of the tents has it’s own atmosphere and tradition. Some are invitation-only affairs, while others are "free" and have bars open to the public. So just wander around and find the vibe that works for you.

One of the most notorious and fun casetas is "Er 77," where wine is drawn from a well and poured from buckets, and beds are offered in the back to sleep it off! Another famous tent is "Los Duendes de Sevilla" (The Goblins of Seville) which is named after a painting by Alvarez Quintero. You can also expect a lively time at the casetas erected by Seville's many left wing and anarchist groups.

While you will probably spend most of the night stamping and clapping in the casetas, keep in mind that La Feria has a full program of events during the daytime. You'll want to check out the daily parades of horses and decorated carriages that wind their way through the city and fairground. This equestrian display is accompanied by strolling singers who play traditional Sevillana ballads on their guitars. Many participants in these parades are members of Seville's aristocracy, and they are exquisitely dressed in the unique wide-brimmed "bolero" hats and short-cropped jackets that are closely associated with Andalusia.

In the afternoons, you can catch a glimpse of another Spanish staple--the bullfight. La Feria attracts top-notch matadors from all over Spain and the bullfights at La Feria are considered to be the best of the season. The action takes place at 5:30pm every afternoon in the imposing Plaza de Toros de Maestranza, which is known to locals as "the Cathedral" and is considered one of the most beautiful bullrings in the country. Tickets can be purchased at the bullring, and while they can be quite expensive.

You'll find the atmosphere at La Feria typically Andalusian--relaxed yet intense. Sevillians are very outgoing and it will be easy to strike up conversations and make new friends.