Let us help you prepare for Semana Santa!

What is Semana Santa?

Semana Santa literally means the holy week. This week stands for the remembrance of the passion of Jesus Christ. Catholics celebrate this by having multiple processions through Seville.

In the processions you can find statues of Maria and Jesus on a decorated set being carried by more than 30 people. Each procession takes about 90 minutes and has up to 3000 people who walk along, those people are called Nazarenos, which are practicing already every evening of this month in the city.

During Semana Santa, it’s incredibly crowded all over the city of Seville. Some tourists want to avoid this event during the holiday because of that, but if you plan everything way ahead, it could just become one of the most unique holidays you have ever had! At the end of this blog you can find a video clip where you can get an impression of the processions during this week.

Tips and recommendations

When and where do I have to be during the Semana Santa?

There are way too many processions (72!) to describe them all, so let us tell you about some of the biggest processions. The biggest processions are from Monday-Thursday (2nd of April 2015) till Easter Sunday (5th of April). We’ll inform you about three different processions who are definitely worth watching.

The first two both start a little after midnight on Good Friday, the names of the processions are La Macarena and La Esperanza de Triana. La Macarena lasts 14 hours and is one of the longest processions, so you'll have enough time to watch both La Macarena and La Esperanza de Triana. During Good Friday there is a procession called El Cachorro. The statue of this procession is a crucified Christ and it is really beautiful.

For more information about all the processions and timetables of Semana Santa, we’ll gladly forward you to the app called illamador, but please note that all the information is in Spanish.

What do I have to bring?

The weather may differ a lot during this time of the year, so just in case bring sunscreen and a hat to protect yourself from sunburns. Note that if it rains, the processions will be canceled.

The streets will be very crowded during the Semana Santa, so bring enough snacks and drinks too. We also recommend to bring your own chair to the streets, because most of the chairs that are there in public are already reserved.

What can I expect of this event?

You can find a whole different Seville during Semana Santa. As said before, there will be an incredible amount of people celebrating this event. Some take Semana Santa very seriously because of the religious background, and some just stand at the sideways watching the processions because of their beauty. One thing is sure, even if you have been in Seville before, you will experience a very unique holiday during this week.

What are the best places to see the processions?

Around the cathedral it will be very busy, so try to avoid the Plaza de la Virgen de los Reyes and Avenida de la Constitución. The better places to go to are: the Macarena arch (but come early), the Bridge of Triana (for the La Esperanza procession), the Castilla street in Triana or the Adriano street next to the Andalucía Tours and Discovery shop.

Learn more about Semana Santa with a guide

Are you in the city but not exactly in the week before Easter? No worries, because a very special activity is the private walking tour you can book with our guide. He will explain you everything about the Holy Week, shows you the preparations of the brotherhoods and visits the chapels where the people dress the Virgins for the processions. He’ll also take you to the exposition “la caja de Semana Santa” (the box of the Holy Week), which is a virtual exposition in which you can see, smell and experience this special event of which the people of Seville are so proud.