Flamenco Festivals

Where to see it: The Festivals

Another excellent place to see flamenco is at one of the many festivals that are staged throughout Andalucía during the summer months.

When one thinks of a flamenco festival, or any music festival, one conjures an image of open air, moonlight sky, and all the aromas that a warm summers night has to offer.

One of the major aspects of a flamenco festival is the proximity of the bar, where people congregate to have a few drinks and conversation, some not even bothering to take their seats because the bar has a perfect view of the stage.

Fortunately the festivals are reserved for the more orthodox flamenco, where the voice and guitar will be the only thing on the stage, and it is at these festivals that you will be able to enjoy the true aspect of flamenco.

Depending on the towns past history of flamenco singers, and I say singers because the festivals are mainly dedicated to the cante, will depend on the quality of the show.

Most festivals are held in the town’s bullring or an open field, and they will normally start around ten thirty and go on until three or four in the morning and even the most ardent of fans will find it exhausting to last the course of the night.

The atmosphere at these festivals is always exciting, and people from all walks of life will be in attendance. The older men with their fraying straw hats conversing in the bar area over a glass of cool fino, the women in the most striking dress designs, silk shawls, and fans in motion, and the smell of jasmine that mingles with the warm summer air combine to make the setting the most enjoyable you could possibly encounter.

Another aspect of the festival is the large gypsy contingent that will also be in attendance, and sometimes to watch their antics will be as enjoyable as the festival itself.

The large gypsy clans can that look so regal on arrival, the women, if widowed dressed in black, and the younger women, their long dark hair trailing down the backs of their brightly coloured gitana dresses, and their piercing dark eyes transfixed on their men.

The older gypsy men with their dark copper complexions and in lined gypsy features look so authoritative with their large clan assembled around them, gold rings and chains adorn the fingers and wrists, and they have a look that tells you that they are the ancestors of what we are all here to see tonight.

Málaga and Seville hold their Bienal de flamenco on alternate years, and these festivals are normally held between September and October, and will last for one month. During these two important festivals most of the top names in the world of flamenco, along with many of the local artistes will perform at the many recitals that are staged in different venues in the cities.

Cordoba also holds an annual festival, as well as Jerez de la Frontera, which is normally staged in February, and again these two festivals will attract some of the best artistes around.

Many will put the reason for flamenco’s continuing progress on these festivals, and they are one of the best places to get that true flamenco atmosphere, Un forma de vida- a way of life!

 

Ciudad de Málaga Flamenco Festival - 24th to 30th June 2024

The Ciudad de Malaga Flamenco Festival is staged over three-days in late June or early July and presents around 30 artistes who perform on a stage that is set up in Calle Alcazabilla. The event usually has seats for around 1,000 people, while others enjoy the performances from the terraces of the many surrounding bars and restaurants. One of the wonderful assets of this festival, along with the fact that there is no entrance fee, is its spectacular location: the stage is erected in front of the Roman theatre, with the colossal Alcazaba fortress as its backdrop. This festival has the ambience of a traditional 1970s style event, where the crowd become as much part of the proceedings as the artistes on the stage. It has become a well-attended festival because it presents local established artistes alongside some of the most revered in Spain.

 

Festival de la Bulerías de Torremolinos 6th July 2024

Torremolinos has lined up some of the most formidable flamenco artistes to perform at the third edition of the Fiesta de la Bulería, which will be held in the town’s bullring from 10pm on Saturday 6 July.

The festival, as the name suggests, promotes singers who are renowned for their outstanding ability to perform this exciting Gypsy celebration style of flamenco, considered to be the style that shows a performer’s true merit.

The festival is based on the world-renowned event held in Jerez de la Frontera; a town considered to be one of the cradles of the bulería.

Because the bulería - a lively show of expressiveness - is an integral part of life among the Gypsies, the festival has presented mainly, but not exclusively, renowned Gypsy performers from Jerez, and this year is no exception.

Tickets cost 25 or 30 euros in advance, depending on the zone chosen, or 30 and 35 euros at the door, and are available from Vinoteca La Fuente, Plaza Federico García Lorca, Torremolinos, or from www.mientrada.net

About the Artistes

Dolores La Agujetas
Dolores de los Santos Bermúdez (La Agujetas) is a Gypsy singer who was born in Jerez de la Frontera in 1960. She descends from one of the town’s clans of orthodox singers whose members include her father, Manuel Agujetas, and grandfather, Agujetas Viejo, two of the most revered singers of the cante jondo of the last century.

Dolores began her professional career in the early 1990s, accompanied by guitarist extraordinaire Parrilla de Jerez, and soon became a popular at the summer flamenco festivals. It was not long before she unleashed her copper-toned broken voice on the rest of the world, performing at festivals in France, Holland, Germany, Belgium and Japan.

She is recognised as one of the greatest representatives of Jerez flamenco singing, although far from any commerciality, offering in all her performances an uncontaminated centuries-old art. She excels in siguiriyas, martinetes, deblas, soleares and, of course, bulerías.

Antonio Reyes
Born in Chiclana de la Fronteras in 1977, Antonio Reyes Montoya was born into a family with a long flamenco tradition and which included renowned performers like Antonio Montoya, Pansequito and Roque Montoya ‘Jarrito’, among others. He came to light in the bullring in Jerez in 1984 within the Jueves Flamenco cycle organised by guitarist Manuel Morao; and by the age of 13, he was touring the USA with Morao, and later throughout Europe, with the show Misa Flamenca.

He is considered an all-rounder, although specialising in the true Gypsy styles of bulerías, soleares, tangos and alegrías.  

Pedro El Granaíno
Pedro El Granaíno is a Gypsy singer who, as his name suggests, was born in Granada (1973), and, in a short space of time, has become one of the most orthodox singers on today’s flamenco scene. Excelling in the deep mournful styles associated with his race, the torn echo with which he sings was forged while selling his wares working as a market trader, an occupation he continued until his late 30s.

At the age of 18, he moved to Seville, where his grandfather, a close friend of bullfighter Curro Romero, was born. It was at the insistence of dancer Farrucuito, that El Granaíno’s singing career began, after the dancer persuaded him to sing during an unscheduled performance at a festival in San Roque: the following year, 2004, he made his first appearance at the coveted Potaje Gitano festival in Utrera, where he demonstrated his true merit as a singer of the most orthodox styles of cante jondo. However, he continued to work as a market trader, until he was hired for the show 'Homenaje a los Grandes' at the Villamarta theatre in Jerez de la Frontera. He turned professional at the age of 38 and has since become a popular addition to the countless flamenco festivals in Spain and throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

Manuel Moneo Barullo
Manuel Moneo Barullo is another singer born into one of Jerez de la Frontera’s grand flamenco clans. He sings the styles associated with his father (also Manuel Moneo), highly esteemed by orthodox flamenco aficionados for singing the siguiriyas, saetas and bulerías por soleá.

He was born in the La Plazuela district of Jerez, an area renowned for its personalised school. His sister, Macarena Moneo, is also an established singer of her family’s tradition.  

Ezequiel Benítez
Born in one of the most irrefutable schools of flamenco, the district of Santiago in Jerez de la Frontera, in 1979, this young singer has already left his mark on the orthodox flamenco scene of today. He has performed at numerous festivals and has achieved many awards in competitions in Jerez, Puerto Real and at Seville’s Bienal de Flamenco.

He began singing at the age of 14 and his impressive qualities have been enough for him to be included in the list of the ‘most promising new artists’ on the current national scene.

Jesús Mendéz
Born into one of the most important sagas of singers that Jerez has produced, that of the Méndez family, which includes the ‘queen of the bulerías’, La Paquera de Jerez, Jesús Mendéz made his debut in 2002 at the Don Antonio Chacón Cultural Association in Jerez. He has gone on to work with artists of the stature of Moraíto Chico, El Güito, Rocío Molina, Alejandro Granados, María del Mar Moreno and Carmen Cortés, among others.

A staunch defender of the songs of La Plazuela district, identifying with bulerías and soleares, along with the alegrías de Cádiz and the malegueñas of Enrique Mellizo, his artistic growth has been quantitative in recent years, touring the world, from Asia to Europe, passing through Africa and America.

Juanfran Carrasco
Juan Francisco Carrasco, who goes by the artistic name of Juanfran Carrasco, was born in Santa Amalia (Badajoz) in 1994, beginning his artistic career at the age of 16, when he participated in the prestigious Don Benito Flamenco Festival, sharing the bill with figures such as Luis El Zambo or Miguel de Tena. At the age of 17, he decided to move to Seville to join the Cristina Heeren Foundation as a student, receiving classes from renowned singers like José de la Tomasa and Calixto Sánchez. He has since toured festivals, clubs and tablaos as one of the new young figures of singing, defined by the media as the new link in a way of singing traditional flamenco, especially the bulerías, which he performs with an unusual naturalness for someone of his young age.

Grupo Malaga Canta
This ensemble consists of a collection of performers who are continuing Malaga’s longstanding flamenco tradition. All have strong connections with this saga and they are among the most pioneering performers to emerge from Málaga in recent years. Bonela Hijo, son of Bonela, one of the province’s most popular old-style singers, is renowned for bulerías, tangos, fandangos and soleares; while Chato de Málaga – El Remache – is a gypsy flamenco singer who was born in Granada in 1960 and who adopted Málaga as his home. He began as a guitarist and later began to sing professionally. He has an extensive discography that combines flamenco orthodoxy and heterodoxy.

The dance will be supplied by Luisa Chicano, a self-taught dancer and prolific creator who is carrying Malaga’s flamenco into the history books; while the rhythm will be kept by Kiko de Tiriri, whose family includes the singers El Tiriri, La Cañeta de Málaga and La Repomilla.

Almería Flamenco and Dance Festival - 26 June to 20 July 2024

The 57th edition of the Almería Flamenco and Dance Festival, one of the city’s most anticipated cultural events. It takes place in different locations between 26 June and 20 July 2024. This popular festival presents an extensive programme, with a total fifteen dance shows and flamenco recitals, along with workshops and courses. The program of activities begin at the Antonio de Torres Guitar Museum with singer Ezequiel Benítez and guitarist Paco León on 26 June 2024; followed by Sevillian singer Segundo Falcón accompanied by Manolo Franco on guitar on 29 June. The festival will include the 'Plazeando', a series of performances staged in the historic centre by some Almeria's finest flamenco talent, including dancer Suleima (27 June – Plaza Pablo Cazard), singer Marina Márquez (July 4 – Plaza Granero), and a group consisting of young up-and-coming local performers (July 11 – Plaza San Roque). All events mentioned above have free entry. More details, full artist listings and bio >.

 

Flamenco (Festival) Trocadero Sotogrande - 3rd to 16th August 2024
Celebrated names from the world of flamenco come together at the 2024 Flamenco Festival Trocadero in Sotogrande. This is the fourth edition of the festival, which presents a series of concerts in the popular Trocadero Beach Club and Restaurant. Thus far three artists announced. In 2023 there were 10 concerts in the series. More info>

 

Festival Flamenco Fuengirola Juan de la Loma – El Jabegote - October

Held during the Feria de la Virgen del Rosario in October, The Festival Flamenco Juan de la Loma – El Jabegote - began in 1976 and has since featured some of the arts most renowned performers. Organised by the Peña Flamenca Unión del Cante and the Fuengirola town hall, this coveted event is held in the Palacio de la Paz theatre and tickets have a symbolic price of 5 euros, or 10 euros for those who prefer a private box. This festival offers the more traditional style of flamenco singing, although it also presents spectacular dance performances by some of the top flamenco troupes and individual dancers in Andalucía. The 43^rd edition (2019) presented the formidable singers Pedro El Granaino and Jesús Méndez; local performers Paqui Rosales and Diego Morilla, while the dance was supplied by the Cuadro Flamenco de Carlos Haro.

 

Semana Flamenca Benalmádena - November

Held in November each year Semana Flamenca de Benalmádena presents a journey through the more orthodox styles of the art of flamenco and includes singing, dancing and guitar recitals by up-and-coming performers and some of the genre’s most formidable artistes. Previous years have presented La Cañeta de Málaga, La Rempompilla, Manuel de la Tomasa, Pansequito and Aurora Vargas, to name just a few. The week-long festival also presents poetry recitals, exhibitions, book presentations and screenings of flamenco documentaries and films at different locations in the town: these include La Peña Rociera Nuestra Señora de la Cruz in Benalmádena Pueblo, the Casa de Cultura in Arroyo de la Miel and Castillo El Bil Bil on the Costa.  The festival, which began in 2009, is organised by the Peña Flamenca La Repompa de Málaga and Benalmádena town hall, and it pays special attention to promoting young local artists in a bid to highlight the flamenco tradition of the area. The festival is dedicated each year to an artiste who has left their mark on the history of flamenco, like Juan Breva (2018) and La Repompa (2019).

The festival includes the Cuchara Flamenca night, a recital of the most orthodox cante that offers visitors the chance to sample a ‘plato de cuchara’, customary Andalusian dishes like Gypsy stew (potaje gitano) and lentil soup (lentejas) - which, as the name suggests, are traditionally eaten with a spoon.

The festival comes to a climax with the Gala de Clausura held at the Castillo el Bil Bil, a show that presents a collection of Málaga-based performers who offer a traditional family fiesta style show.

This has become one of the most popular local flamenco festivals due to the subsidised ticket prices. Ticket prices range from 3 to 10 euros, while the Cuchara Flamenca night costs 15 euros (2019) including food.

 

La Bienal de Flamenco, Sevilla
The XXIII edition of the Bienal de Flamenco is being organised for 2024 and dates are still to be published.  Among the announced artists for 2024 are Miguel Poveda, who returns to the Bienal after 14 years, Arcángel, Esperanza Fernández, Israel Fernández, José Valencia, Pedro El Granaíno, Rafael de Utrera, David Palomar, Guadiana and La Fabi.

The Bienal de Flamenco takes place in Seville every other year, in even-numbered years (2024, 2026, 2028). It is the most important flamenco festival in the world, and features all the top artists and dance companies from Spain and around the world, It takes place over during the month of September on even years. Read our blog about the 2014 edition. Previous were 7th August to 4th October 2020 and 8th Sept to 1st Oct 2022.
labienal.com

 

La Bienal de Flamenco, Málaga
Malaga holds its Flamenco Bienal on odd-numbered years (2025, 2027, 2029) from February to September. In 2019 the 6th edition ran form 3 April to 14th September with about 50 different events. In 2023 the festival ran from 29th April to 27th May with 50 different events in the city. malagaenflamenco.com

 

Major Festivals

Alhaurín de la Torre	Festival Torre del Cante-June
Alora	Festival de cante grande-July
Antequera	Noche Flamenca de Santa María-Aug
Dos Hermanas	Festival de Flamenco Juan Talega-June
Granada	Noche Flamenca de Albaycin-August
Jerez de la Frontera	Festival de Jerez-April
Lebrija	Caracolá Lebrijana-July
Málaga	Bienal de Arte Flamenco Malaga Odd numbered years - Sept 2023, Sept 2025. See note above
Mairena del Alcor	Festival de Cante jondo A.Mairena-Sept
Morón de la Frontera	Gazpacho Andaluz-August
Ronda	Festival de cante grande-August
Seville	Bienal de Arte Flamenco Sevilla Even numbered years - Sept 2024, Sept 2026. See note above
Torremolinos	Festival Flamenco-August
Utrera	Potaje Gitano-June The longest established flamenco festival in Spain.

Booking.com