Twice a year Seville stops being an ordinary city: Semana Santa (Holy Week) and, about two weeks later, the Feria de Abril. Both fill the hotels, both change how you move around the centre, and one of them closes the Alcázar for a day. Visiting then is a wonderful idea, as long as you plan differently.
Alcázar closing days from the official visitor page, checked September 18, 2026. Dates of Holy Week follow Easter; the city publishes the Feria dates each year.
What closes, and when
Good Friday is one of the Alcázar's four closing days of the year: 1 January, 6 January, Good Friday and 25 December. In Holy Week that is the day to keep free for the processions.
The rest of Holy Week the Alcázar opens normally, with its usual hours; see opening hours.
During the Feria the monument keeps normal hours. The city's Wednesday of the Feria is a local holiday, so expect a holiday crowd in the centre.
When the dates fall
Holy Week moves with Easter. It runs from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, so in 2027 that is 21 to 28 March, with Good Friday on 26 March. The Feria usually follows about two weeks after Easter, and the city council publishes its exact dates: check them before booking flights, because they move every year.
How the processions change the centre
The Alcázar sits on the Plaza del Triunfo, beside the Cathedral, and the official processional route passes along the Avenida de la Constitución to reach it. In practice, during Holy Week:
Streets close without much notice. A procession crossing your route can add half an hour to a ten-minute walk.
Crossing the centre can be impossible for long stretches in the afternoon and at night.
Leave far more time than you think to reach your entry slot, and approach from the direction that avoids the Cathedral if you can.
A missed slot is a lost ticket. Official tickets are non-refundable except when the Alcázar itself cannot open; see tickets.
During the Feria the pressure moves across the river to the fairground in Los Remedios, so the centre is busy but passable. The crowd at the Alcázar is the ordinary tourist crowd, plus a holiday.
Planning a visit in those weeks
Book the Alcázar as early as you can. These are the weeks when the first slots go first; visitors report tickets released on the 1st of each month, one to two months ahead.
Take an early slot, before the day's processions build up.
Keep Good Friday for the city, since the Alcázar is closed.
Expect higher hotel prices and book much earlier than usual.
If your plans might change, a tour with free cancellation is the safer booking: the guided tour with priority access offers free cancellation, while the official ticket does not.
Is it worth coming in those weeks?
Yes, if you come for the city itself. Holy Week in Seville is one of the great sights of Europe, and the Feria is the city at its most festive.
No, if you came mainly for the monuments and want calm. The same visit in May or October costs less and is far quieter; see the best time to visit.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Alcázar open during Semana Santa?
Yes, except on Good Friday, when it is closed.
Is the Alcázar open during the Feria de Abril?
Yes, with its normal hours.
When is Semana Santa in Seville?
It ends on Easter Sunday, so the dates move each year. In 2027 it runs from 21 to 28 March.
When is the Feria de Abril?
Usually about two weeks after Easter. The city publishes the exact dates each year.
Do the processions block the way to the Alcázar?
They can. The official route runs along the Avenida de la Constitución, beside the Cathedral, so allow much more time.
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