Feria de Abril of Seville: basic vocabulary you need to know!

Spring has finally come to Seville and with it the funniest and most colorful party of the city: Feria de Abril! For those who don´t know about this event, the April Fair is the most important flamenco celebration in Seville, and probably Spain. It usually takes place on April (always two weeks after the Holy Week), and it gathers thousands of locals and visitors who go there looking for party and dance.

In 1846 the Feria de Abril first began as a local festival that included several “casetas” (booths) where the “sevillanos” got together. As the years passed, the Seville April Fair started to get popular and grow until it become a national event known in most of the world. So yes… Seville is definitely the place to be at this moment of the year! 😉

If you are coming to Seville and planning to visit the Feria de Abril, you should know some essential vocabulary in order to get by. We have selected the top five words for you, check it out!

Sevillanas

Sevillanas is the word that you will hear the most in the Feria. Sevillanas is a typical dance from Seville that comes from flamenco. This singular dance is a mixture of clapping hands, stamping heels and singing, and it contains four rounds. Each round has a name, being the first one “la primera”, second one “la segunda”, third one “la tercera” and fourth one “la cuarta”. All of them start with a basic dance and end up by turning around you. You might get confuse at the beginning, but keep your eyes on your footsteps partner and you will promptly pick up the pace!

Rebujito

This is, without a doubt, the most important word of the whole Feria de Abril. Why? Because it´s drinking time! Made by mixing Manzanilla (white wine) and a soft drink (Sprite or SevenUp), the Rebujito is the best way to calm your thirst and cheer you up. You will easily see loads of jars of Rebujito on the tables of the casetas while the locals drink and have fun.

The only thing you have to be aware about this famous drink is its consequences. Especially if you are drinking it fast. You might think is a soft drink, but once you get a jar of it (easy to do it due to the warm temperatures) you will realize about its power. Be careful and drink it with moderation unless you want to end up dancing sevillanas like you never did!

Calle del Infierno

If you want to find the funniest spot of the Feria de Abril you should use this creepy word: Calle del Infierno (Hell´s street). This street with a horror film name is the theme park of the Seville April Fair.

Here you can find a wide range of attractions in order to have fun and test you! You may experience from the enjoyable “coches locos” attraction (crazy cars) to the scary “barca vikinga” (Viking boat). Whether you are looking to have fun or unload your adrenaline, Calle del Infierno is your best choice.

Portada

This word is very important if you plan to meet with your friends at Feria de Abril. Sevillanos refer to “portada” to the main entrance of the fair, and it´s the typical spot to meet for many people (although it’s probably not the best one, because it’s always crowded!).

Every year the fair has a brand new portada, and it welcomes the Feria with “el alumbrao” (the lighting up). The portada contains up to 25.000 light bulbs that light up every night and offer a stunning picture for every photographer that is looking to take great photos in Seville. Don´t miss the chance to contemplate it at night, you will be amazed by its beauty.

Casetas

Casetas (the booths) are the way to name the enclosures where sevillanos got together to celebrate the party. Up to 1.000 casetas are present in the Feria de Abril, being private most of them. Private casetas are for those who pay a fee every year, but this dosen´t mean that you are not going to be able to get inside. If you are lucky to have a local friend, you can be invited to access. If not, you can always try the public casetas which are spread along the fair. Here you have a list of them in order to find them!

We hope you learned a lot about the important words of the Feria de Abril and that you will be able to get by. In case you want to discover more about the secrets of this amazing event, we will be happy to take you around and immortalize your experience with our photo tours.

Get the most of your visit and join our activities at Photo Tour Seville! You will have memories that will last a lifetime!