The Seville Fair, or Feria de Abril as it is called locally, is the most celebrated festival in Andalusia each April. The fair usually begins two weeks after Semana Santa, or Holy Week. It was initially organized in 1847 as a livestock fair by two councilors born in northern Spain, Basque José Mara Ybarra, and Catalan Narciso Bonaplata. Queen Isabel II agreed to the proposal, and on 18 April 1847, the first fair was held at the Prado de San Sebastian, on the city’s outskirts. The fair peaked during the 1920s and became the spectacle it is today.
Starting at midnight on Monday, the fair runs for six days, ending on the following Sunday. However, in past fairs, many activities have begun on the Saturday before the official opening. The fiesta begins each day with a parade of carriages and riders at midday, carrying Seville’s leading citizens to La Real Maestranza, the bullring where the bullfighters and breeders meet.
