The 2026 Seville April Fair is gearing up for its most anticipated moment: the lighting ceremony and its pre-show. This year, the start of Seville’s big week will be marked not only by the lighting of the bulbs but also by a top-notch musical show that promises to turn Antonio Bienvenida Street into a full-blown party before midnight.
What time does the show start, and who is performing?
The Seville City Council, through the delegate for Major Festivals, Manuel Alés, has confirmed that Raya Real will be in charge of providing the soundtrack for the opening ceremony.
Speaking of the event, the group—which, incidentally, is the most-listened-to act at the April Fair—has announced that, in addition to their greatest hits, they will premiere their new single during the event.
The show in question, according to the City Council, will begin at 10:00 p.m. under the fair’s main gate.
As is tradition, the lighting of the lights will take place at midnight, marking the official start of the 2026 Seville Fair.
The facade: a colossus of 28,000 light bulbs
The “ephemeral monument” presiding over the Real this year is a work of engineering and craftsmanship designed to dazzle. Here are the key figures for the structure that will be illuminated this Monday:
- Lighting: 28,000 LED bulbs.
- Dimensions: 40 meters wide by 40 meters high.
- Materials: More than 6,000 pieces of woodwork and 3,777 m² of paneling.
- Wiring: The installation features more than 30,500 meters of tubing.
Raya Real: nearly 40 years as the soundtrack of the Feria
The choice of Raya Real is no accident. Since their breakthrough in 1990 with ‘Rociadora, ‘ the group revolutionized the sevillanas genre with their formula of compiling classic songs and linking them together so that no one stops dancing.
With several Gold Records to their credit, the band has taken the music of Seville all over the world, from Miami to Santo Domingo.
Among their highlights are 40 Sevillanas to Dance To, Bamboleo, and their new album MALA, in which they pay tribute to figures such as Ketama, María Jiménez, and Jero.
Sevillians and visitors alike have a date this Monday to experience a festive kickoff “in style.”
