Seville is best known for its fair, and it's no wonder! Seville Fair is 7 days of celebration, great company, dancing and amazing cuisine which sees approximately 500,000 people come together to celebrate Andalusian culture and, most importantly, Sevillian culture. What could be better, right?
The city dons its best flamenco attire to host the 1040 "casetas", or booths at the city's fairground, where locals spend their days drinking rebujito and enjoying live music. And it's no wonder! The "casetas" are the life and soul of the party and the perfect place for getting together to sing and dance, meaning you simply can't miss out on them.
There are public and private "casetas", but what does this mean? Well, at private "casetas", you are only allowed in if you are invited by the person to whom it belongs, while public ones are open to the general public. Some people claim that if you don't have friends or family with a "caseta" then you won't be able to get into one at all... A total myth!
The first Sevilla Fair was held on 18 April 1847 and 100% served to buy and sell livestock. Over time, the city's residents appropriated the event, turning it into the huge party that it is today.
There's no way you can talk about Seville Fair without naming one of its main stars: the flamenco dress. This regional outfit is one of the most recognised both Spain and abroad! It dates back to the robes used by peasants when performing their tasks, to which bright colours, embroidery and ruffles were added. Gradually, they became more and more popular, before becoming the icon that they have become today.
Careful! Although the "official" uniform at these parties are colourful flamenco outfits and there is a sense of elegance in the wear, everyone wears whatever they want and what makes them feel most comfortable.
If you feel like wearing jeans, then wear them. Nobody will look at you like you've just landed from Mars or think you are being disrespectful. As you will see for yourself, everyone dresses however they want and even flamenco dresses come in different shapes and sizes depending on who is wearing them. At the end of the day... The Fair is all about having a good time!
Second to the flamenco dress, the absolute star of the fair, is rebujito: manzanilla wine with lemon soda. A perfect mix that is even better if you share it with friends, as rebujito is sold by the jug so you can enjoy it with the people you are with.
As for food, the "casetas" at the fair are packed with typical Spanish delicacies. Iberian ham, mature cheeses, prawns, Spanish omelette or salmorejo are the mustn't miss dishes at this event.
Although the most typical dish at the fair is fried fish. What's more, the first night of the fair is known as "El pescaíto", as all the "casetas" serve fried fish dishes to mark the start of the fair. Delicious crunchy bites of hake, anchovies, squid... Sound delicious? It really is!
Furthermore, there are also typical fairground sweet treats. If you have a sweet tooth, make sure not to leave without trying the churros and fritters with hot chocolate. Locals tend to eat them just as they are about to leave the fair and head home to bed, no matter what time that might be. Are you willing to give this custom a go?
If you plan on doing something else other than go to the fair during your visit, bear in mind that the centre of Seville is deserted during fair week. In other words, it is easier to discover Seville and its hideaways during the fair as the local residents are at the fairground.
Can you imagine anything better taking a stroll through the deserted centre of Seville? Take in every last corner of this city in your own time!
What are you waiting for? As you can see, the Fair is the perfect reason for visiting Seville and discovering all its hidden treasures. If you are looking for a comfortable, easy and fast way to travel, Renfe's AVE and Larga Distancia (long distance high-speed) trains make it easy for you.
Consult our routes. Experience it for yourself!