Feria del Caballo — Jerez horse fair

Jerez’s Feria del Caballo is not just a party week. It is the city’s big self-portrait — horses, sherry, flamenco, food, and a very Andalusian idea of public life all packed into one fairground. The 2026 edition opened on Saturday, May 9, with the official lighting ceremony at 10 p.m., and it runs through May 16 in Parque González Hontoria. (jerez.es) This year has an extra angle, too — the whole fair is being framed around Jerez’s designation as Spain’s 2026 Capital of Gastronomy. ### So what is this fair, exactly? It started centuries ago as a livestock fair, but the modern version is a city-scale festival built around the symbols Jerez most wants to project: the horse, flamenco, and sherry wine. (jerez.es) That is why the fair is not tucked away as a niche equestrian event. It is one of Jerez’s flagship public celebrations, and it carries official recognition as a Festival of International Tourist Interest. ### What changed in 2026? The 2026 fair is not just the usual annual edition. The city dedicated it to Jerez’s new status as Spanish Capital of Gastronomy 2026, under the slogan “Come, drink, love Jerez.” Basically, food moved from being part of the background atmosphere to being one of the event’s headline themes. (jerez.es) ### When is the key action? The fair runs from May 9 to May 16, 2026. The ceremonial opening came with the alumbrado — the switching on of the lights — on Saturday night, followed by fireworks. But the fair really unfolds over the full week, with horse competitions, public rides, themed days, and late-night social life in the casetas. (turismojerez.com) ### Why are horses still the center? Because this is not horse branding as decoration — the program is full of actual equestrian events. The schedule includes morphology competitions, doma vaquera, working equitation, carriage exhibitions, and the well-known “How the Andalusian Horses Dance” performances. There is also the daily horse-and-carriage parade, which runs from the second day of the fair through the closing Saturday, from 1 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (jerez.es) ### What are casetas in the Jerez version? They are the social core of the fair — tented pavilions where people eat, drink, dance, and spend long stretches of the day and night. But Jerez’s casetas have their own twist. They are known for elaborate facades and a strong local decorative tradition, so they function a bit like temporary neighborhood clubs and a bit like stage sets. (jerez.es) ### Where does flamenco fit in? Everywhere, really. Not always as a single headline show, but as part of the fair’s rhythm — sevillanas in the casetas, live performance culture, and the broader identity Jerez sells to visitors. The fair works because the horse side and the flamenco side are not separate tracks. (jerez.es) They are presented as parts of the same local culture. ### Why is gastronomy getting top billing now? Because Jerez wants to use the fair as proof of what that gastronomy title means in practice. The city is tying together local wine, food traditions, hospitality, and tourism messaging. Tuesday, May 12, is officially marked as Gastronomy Day at the fair, which makes the strategy pretty explicit. (jerez.es) ### What’s the bottom line? The 2026 Feria del Caballo is the usual Jerez spectacle, but with a sharper civic pitch. Horses still lead the image. But this year the city is also using the fair to say: come for the tradition, stay for the food, wine, and the whole Jerez package. (jerez.es) (turismojerez.com)