La Feria de Abril

Every spring, an empty field on the outskirts of Barcelona is transformed into a temporary city of lights, music, fairground rides, and brightly decorated tents. Founded in the 1970s by Andalusian migrants who settled in Catalonia, the Feria de Abril was originally created as a way of preserving cultural traditions and maintaining a connection to home. Over time, however, it has evolved into something far more complex.

Raised in the periphery of Barcelona, I approach the fair from a place of familiarity rather than distance. My interest lies not in documenting the event itself, but in observing the people who inhabit it. Families, workers, teenagers, performers, and visitors move through this shared space, bringing with them different cultural backgrounds, histories, and ways of belonging.

For a few days, the fair offers a temporary escape from everyday routines. It becomes a place of leisure, performance, and collective celebration, where fantasy and reality overlap. The illuminated attractions, traditional dresses, music, food stalls, and temporary architecture create a landscape that is both theatrical and deeply social.

Through portraits and observations of everyday interactions, the project explores how identities are expressed and negotiated within public space. What began as a celebration rooted in a specific migrant experience has become a meeting point where different cultures and generations coexist, reflecting the diversity of contemporary Catalonia.

Rather than portraying the fair as a folkloric spectacle, this work considers it a living social landscape shaped by migration, class, memory, and cultural exchange. The Feria de Abril emerges as a place where people gather not only to celebrate tradition, but also to create new forms of community and belonging.