Fireworks light up Seville to signal end of another well-attended April fair

A spectacular firework display lit up the sky over Seville on Sunday night to announce the end of this year’s April fair, a six-day event that saw ideal temperatures and a continual flow of revellers. According to the first data from Seville city hall, the fair ended with a positive balance, a record number of visitors using public transport and without serious incidents.

The fair began on Tuesday 6 May, while the busiest days are reported to have been Thursday, Friday and Saturday, although as is often the case, Sunday saw a vast drop in visitors, as the extravagant festivities had obviously taken their toll on locals and visitors alike.

This grand display of culture, tradition, revelry and pride blend together to create a unique spectacle that typifies Seville, and not only on the fairground. The bars and restaurants in the area of Los Remedios and Triana were full to capacity and any chance of walking in off the street without a prior reservation was impossible.

The more than 1,000 ‘casetas’ located on the 275,000-square-metre fairground were also packed with revellers, who danced to sevillanas and light flamenco, while large families crammed around tables to enjoy a continual flow of food and refreshments.

It was estimated that in 2024, the fair was attended by three million people, who drank approximately one million litres of Cruzcampo beer, and these figures are expected to have been similar for this year.

For the first year in its history, the fair included safe spaces for women and the LGBT+ community, which the council said offered “a more inclusive, violence-free, and safer fair for all”.

Some 3,000 police officers have been on duty in the vicinity of the fairground and its surrounding areas over the past week. The local authority highlighted the success of the security measures implemented this year, which saw fewer thefts and more controls. According to the central government's delegate in Seville, Francisco Toscano, the plan "has met the previously established objectives in terms of prevention, control, and action”.

However, there were a few incidents that required the quick reaction of the emergency services. At around 2.15pm on Wednesday, at least three people, including an 11-month-old baby, were injured by a runaway horse on the Puente Delicias bridge, located close to the feria. Two of them, the baby and a 40-year-old man, had to be taken to the Virgen del Rocío hospital with varying injuries, according to reports Europa Press. Both have since been released.

As reported by ABC Sevilla, the incident happened after the uncontrolled animal ran over several people before being rescued by professionals from the animal protection centre.

In another incident, albeit with relatively minor consequences, a total of six people were affected on Wednesday afternoon by a fire that broke out in the kitchen of a caseta in Calle Pepe Luis Vázquez at around 5.15pm. Those affected had to be treated for smoke inhalation, although none of them were reported to have been seriously injured. Among them were four National Police officers who arrived at the scene to take charge of the situation. The emergency services managed to quickly bring the blaze under control.