Lent in Seville, a time of preparation and tradition
Lent is the period leading up to Holy Week and one of the most significant moments in Seville’s cultural and religious calendar. It lasts for forty days and marks a time of preparation, reflection and tradition in the city.
During these weeks, Seville undergoes a gradual transformation in anticipation of Holy Week, both in its streets and in its cultural and social life.
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which this year falls on 18 February, and ends with Palm Sunday, the start of Holy Week, which will take place on 29 March.
What happens in the city during Lent
The temples host special religious services and ceremonies dedicated to the images that will be carried in procession during Holy Week. It is an ideal time to visit churches and basilicas and see up close an artistic heritage that, in many cases, is not on display the rest of the year.
At the same time, concerts of sacred and processional music begin to be held, along with band and costalero rehearsals and cultural activities linked to Holy Week.
The Holy Week Poster
Every year, an official poster is presented, commissioned by the Council of Brotherhoods and Fraternities, announcing Holy Week and becoming a highly anticipated work of art. These are usually paintings or graphic works by renowned artists, depicting an image, scene or symbol linked to Holy Week or the city itself.
Beyond its advertising function, the poster has great cultural and artistic value. It marks the symbolic start of the countdown to Holy Week and generates considerable interest among Sevillians, visitors and enthusiasts, giving rise to exhibitions, debates and publications on its aesthetics and meaning.
Holy Week in Seville 2026 already has its official poster, whose protagonist is the Cristo de las Misericordias, patron saint of the Hermandad de Santa Cruz.
The work, entitled ‘La Cruz Santa de Sevilla’ (The Holy Cross of Seville), is the creation of the Cadiz painter Antonio Casamitjana, known artistically as Antoine Cas.
Each poster thus becomes a reflection of the historical and artistic moment in which it is created, bringing a contemporary perspective to a centuries-old tradition.
For visitors, the poster is an excellent way to learn about the iconography, artistic style and sensibility surrounding Holy Week in Seville.
Way of the Cross in Seville
The Penitential Way of the Cross of the Brotherhoods and Fraternities of Seville is celebrated every year on the first Monday of Lent.
This event has become a highlight of the Lenten calendar, bringing together every year numerous Sevillians and visitors interested in experiencing Holy Week from a more contemplative and solemn perspective.
In 2026, the 50th edition of the Way of the Cross of the Brotherhoods of Seville will be celebrated. Each year, an image is chosen to preside over the penitential ceremony. On this occasion, the Way of the Cross will be presided over by the Cristo de la Buena Muerte (Christ of the Good Death) from the Brotherhood of La Hiniesta.
Proclamation of Holy Week
It is held at the Teatro de la Maestranza on Passion Sunday, one week before Palm Sunday, and consists of a speech given by a person appointed each year by the Council of Brotherhoods and Fraternities linked to culture, literature and the brotherhoods. The proclamation combines reflection, emotion and historical and artistic references, and becomes a public celebration of Holy Week.
The speaker for Holy Week in Seville 2026 is the journalist José Antonio Rodríguez Benítez.
Lenten cuisine
Lent is also reflected in Seville’s cuisine. During these weeks, it is traditional to find dishes associated with abstinence and fasting, which form part of the local culinary identity.
Recipes such as spinach with chickpeas, potaje de vigilia (a type of stew) or cod in different preparations, as well as traditional sweets such as torrijas (a type of French toast) and pestiños (a type of fried dough), can be enjoyed in bars and restaurants throughout the city.