Feria de abril
A release after the somberness of semana santa. to say this is a huge party is an understatement. most if not all of seville takes a weeks holiday and they plan for the fair months in advance. the fair is close to the river and covers a huge area and contains hundereds of private and public "casetas" which are laid out to form streets. casetas are small marquees and you can only get into the private ones if invited. the public ones are large but just as much fun. the day is naturally split in two and between noon and 8pm the streets of the fair throng with horses as riders and carriages strut their stuff dressed in traditional spanish robes. after 8 the streets are cleared and "calle del inferno" comes to life. this must be one of the best funfairs in europe and i can testify to having seen it happen that it takes weeks to assemble and pack up. the fair is one of the best festivals in spain and appeals to everything thats great about spain - traditional dress,flamenco dancing, guitars, fino, great tapas and men, women and children who dance with gusto and eat and drink the day and night away.
Go out
The nightlife of seville is fantastic; no other european city has so many bars per inhabitant than seville. in summer go to isla cartuja and find out why the spanish night doesn't stop before 7am. there you can find plenty of open-air discotheques. other nightlife spots include calle betis in triana, la alamede de hã©rcules, and plaza alfalfa.
Football
Sevilla has two football teams, sevilla fc and real betis. at the sevilla fc stadium next to plaza nervion you can regularly catch the last 5 minutes of a game for free.
Flamenco
Flamenco is in fact very popular at the moment in spain and is not just for tourists, however finding the right place is hard. the "museo del baile flamenco" is a museum dedicated to the art and offers a wealth of knowledge, as well as performances at discounted price for museum visitors on friday and saturday evenings at 19:30 www.museoflamenco.com, tel.: 00.34.954.34.03.11. el arenal is another place to consider. the cultural centre c/ ximã©nez de enciso, 28 santa cruz, 954 56 06 70 is a good spot to see real flamenco, performances are daily at 9pm, it costs â¬15, â¬13 for students and sevillians, â¬9 for kids 4 to 10. la carboneria located in the twisty alleyways in front of the cathedral offers free flamenco shows nightly at 11pm
Semana Santa
The sombre easter week processions feature thousands of people and go on all week, a spectacular display of conspicuous catholicism.
Other ways of getting around
Horse drawn carriage
Rides found near the cathedral take you to the nearby park and other sites of interest. for the sake of the animals, try to avoid / discourage the use of carriage rides in the heat of the day in summer.
Cruises
An hour in duration, leave from beneath the torre de oro and travel a circuit on the guadalquivir river.
Rent a scooter
For the day or week, to ride you do not need a license and the traffic rules are relaxed for the most part while riding.
Sevilla Bike Tour
Bike tour around the center of Seville, which also takes you a bit of the beaten path. Will give you a pretty good overview of the city, while at the same time giving you information that could prove useful during your visit, for example,the best restaurants, theatres and bars
National and regional holidays
Feria de Sevilla
April 20th-25th. all night flamenco dancing, bullfights, dancing in the streets and horse riding, the most celebrated event in spain.
Corpus Christi
June 6th. celebrated with big parades.
Assumption of Virgin Mary
August 15th
St. Marta
July 29th
Dia de los Santos Inocentes
December 28th. similar to the american april fool's day, an excuse to play innocent pranks on one another.
All Saints Day
November 1st. relatives lay flowers on graves.
Constitution Day
December 6th
Immaculate Conception
December 8th
Three King's Day
January 6th. children receive new pants and shoes from their parents.
New Years Day
January 1st
Labour Day
May 1st
Semana Santa (Holy Week)
The week preceding easter sunday. processions and floats prevalent throughout city.
St. John's Day
June 24th
Christmas Day
December 25th
St. Stephens Day
December 26th
Saint Stephen's Day
January 20th